Killing Cascade
by rockkcityboy
Summary: When you wake up in an unfamiliar location with 15 strangers, it's obvious that something has gone seriously wrong in your life, and when you're told to kill those strangers if you ever want to leave, you decide whatever god may exist must really fucking hate you. Will the goodness of humanity surprise you and lead you all to a peaceful victory, or will people start to crack?
1. Something Wicked This Way Comes

Your name is Karkat Vantas. You are seventeen years old, don't have any friends, and you are in your last year of high school.

You also have no idea where the fuck you are.

You have just opened your eyes to find that you are in a small room- so small, in fact, that you cannot bring yourself to believe that the room is supposed to be this side at all. You don't have the faintest memory of how the hell you got here, and you don't recognise anything around you.

Experimentally, you push one of the walls. As you had assumed, it is not an actual wall and turns out to actually be just a piece of painted cardboard. Half-way through the cardboard's descent, it stops like it has hit something and you hear a shout from below it. Clearly, there's someone else here, but you aren't sure if you should be happy about that. You still don't know what's going on, after all, and for all you know this person could be dangerous.

"What is this, torture a blind girl day?!" the voice yells, sounding fairly aggressive. That's fair, you suppose. This situation feels shitty enough for you, not even being able to see where you are would really have made it that tiny bit more unbearable.

The only reasonable thing to do is answer her, and so you do, pulling the cardboard away from her at the same time.

"I'm not exactly having the greatest day here either y'know." You don't mean to shout, but your volume control is as bad as ever and that's exactly what you end up doing. "I'd ask if you know where the fuck we are, but if you're blind then you're probably even more confused than I am."

The removal of the cardboard reveals a girl several inches taller than you- but then, almost everyone is- with messy ginger hair hanging just to her shoulders. By far the most distinctive things about her, however, are her bright red glasses and her impressive scowl.

"Great, even the sighted person is useless," she snaps. "Whatever will a poor blind maiden do?" She feels around her sides like she's looking for something, then curses. "Of course I don't have my cane! Why would I have ever thought otherwise."

Before you can offer to help her, another voice chimes in from across the room.

"Hello?" Another girl you think. This one has a tint of French in her accent. You hear the sound of cardboard collapsing, followed by a squeak.

"Ah, fuck," another voice says. The new person apologises and you hear the cardboard brushing against other pieces, presumably as they lift the cardboard off the girl.

More and more voices chime in, you manage to catch at least ten before losing count until it becomes clear that there is just an egregious amount of cardboard in this room.

"Okay, clearly none of us know where the fuck we are or what in the shit is going on," you yell above the confusion, "but can we all agree that we need to move the cardboard before we do anything? Because personally I'm finding this bullshit really annoying and I'd like to get the whole thing over with now, thanks."

There's no disagreement on that, and with the work of all of you, the cardboard isn't even standing for another minute. You look over each member of the group as they come into view and find, unsurprisingly, that you don't know any of them. With the cardboard gone, you can now tell that there are sixteen people in the room, counting yourself. Sixteen people in an unknown location, all around the same age, with different styles, who are all complete strangers. What is this, a fucking anime?

Glancing around, you find that there's a pretty even gender split. Eight female presenting, eight male presenting, but unless you want to ask each and every person you have no way of knowing if anyone else is non-binary.

There are a few that stand out more than others- a tall girl with dark skin in a bright red skirt, an outrageously tall guy so thin he could snap in half, a blonde boy, who's actually around your height for once, wearing a pair of shades, another who must be over 6ft _also_ wearing shades, though his are cracked so badly you don't know how he can see- but the more you look, the more you find that everyone stands out. Seriously, have you walked straight into the pages of a manga or something?

After everyone's gotten their bearings, you go to speak, to suggest that you all introduce yourselves or something, but you're cut off by a girl with long, dark hair, and the stupidest glasses you've ever seen.

"Unless one of you is going to reveal that you actually know where we are, or what's going on, or just about anything, really, I think we should just start introducing ourselves before this goes any further. I'll go first, I'm Vriska. You next, shortie."

She points at you, and you can feel everyone's eyes turning. Rude. First, she totally steals your thunder and now she's turning the spotlight on you? But you're in no position to argue, so you just sigh and go ahead.

"Karkat. What about you, blind girl?"

"Terezi Pyrope, legist extraordinaire. Someone else go, I don't know where anyone is."

It feels like an awkward silence is coming, but it's quickly shattered by a bubbly looking girl. Like, seriously bubbly looking. She has a bottle of bubbles in her pocket. She's also wearing a ridiculously fancy dress that looks like it costs more than your life.

"Hi! I'm Feferi. I'm reel-y confused at the moment, but I hope that once this is all sorted out, we can all be fronds!" She grins widely. Well, it's not like fish puns are the weirdest thing you've had to put up with today, and considering you woke up like twenty minutes ago at the most, that's actually sort of impressive.

Feferi gestures for a nervous looking boy in a wheelchair to go next. You briefly wonder how the fuck he got in here; the place doesn't exactly look accessible.

"Uh, I'm Tavros…" He gives a weak smile and trails off. He looks around awkwardly, like he doesn't want to pick on anyone, but eventually gestures to the short blond.

"Hey, I'm Dave." He finger-guns over to the French girl, who rolls her eyes before answering.

"Rose Lalonde." Rose nods along to the girl with the red skirt.

"My name is Kanaya."

This continues until the whole group has stated their names. You run through them in your head afterwards; Terezi, Feferi, Tavros, Dave, Rose, Kanaya, Gamzee, Aradia, Sollux, Nepeta, John, Jade, Eridan, Equius, Vriska.

Following the introductions, there's a short lull in the conversation before you take initiative and move on.

"Next item on the to-do list: figure out where the fuck we are, and how to get out," you propose.

"That sounds like a good plan!" Feferi agrees cheerfully. "Let's go!" She goes right on ahead out the door without hesitation. You can't quite figure out if that impresses or horrifies you.

Surprisingly, your much-too-large group of confused teenagers manages to organise themselves and move out of the much-too-small room with almost no complications. You had planned to offer to help Terezi, but by the time you turn to her she's already holding onto Dave's arm. Gamzee has ended up helping Tavros fit his wheelchair through the door, so you can't offer to help him either. You had been right- this place was not built with accessibility in mind.

The group moves down the corridor fairly slowly, but at least steadily, until you hear Eridan shout behind you.

"What the fuck? Where the hell is my phone?"

Well, that doesn't bode well. You aren't entirely sure how it took this long for anyone to check for something as simple as their phone, but evidently, it wouldn't have mattered since the various groans around the group and your own empty pocket tells you that every phone is absent. How completely incon-fucking-venient.

"So, none of us have our phones?" Kanaya inquires. She's met with fifteen irritated nods before she goes on. "They must have been taken by whoever put us in here. We should be able to find them as soon as we find our captor."

"Hopefully!" Feferi agrees. "For now, we should keep looking for any clues about who took us or how to get out!"

And, to their credit, everyone listens.

So, you search. And search. And search. And all that you find is a stupid amount of rooms, most of which are empty. There are sixteen eerily identical bedrooms, which no one wants to look into further, along with a kitchen, a dining room, a set of bathrooms and, of course, the room you woke up in. The most obvious door to go through is also the closest to that original room, with big decorated doors, but when you tried to get in it wouldn't budge. Not even Equius, who is clearly the strongest of the group, could get them to break.

Just as you all start to feel that searching for clues is utterly hopeless and head back towards those doors, you hear a voice echoing down the halls. Harsh and scratchy, and altogether unpleasant to listen to.

"Stupid sister," the mystery person grumbles, "making me late to my own game. She should just be staying out of this. Dumb bitches aren't good for anything."

You can physically see the "yikes" spreading across everyone's faces. This random voice in the corridor, presumably the person who kidnapped all of you, has only said three sentences and they've already proved themselves to be a misogynistic child.

"Okay," Rose says slowly. "So, it seems we may have been kidnapped by a child."

"Hey!" Ah, the kid heard her. "I'm older than all of you, shit for brains."

Somehow, you doubt that. Maybe it's the fact that they sound like a five-year-old. Maybe it's the fact that now that they're in view, you realise they're well under five feet tall. Or maybe it's all of these things combined plus the fact that they just stamped their foot like a literal toddler.

Never mind that. There are more important questions to be asking. Such as; "Where the hell are we, fuckass?"

"No, you don't get to know that yet," the kid snaps back. "There's an order to this shit. Follow the script!"

"The script?" you repeat incredulously. This fucker cannot be serious.

"Yes, the script! Stupid sister messed everything up, you weren't meant to see this shit yet. Go back to your cardboard rooms, now!" They have the audacity to stamp their foot again and point towards the first room. The movement makes the crudely made mask covering the top of their face shake.

"Oh, those?" Nepeta giggles. "We broke them! They were stupid and annoying and we knocked them all down."

The kid glares daggers at her. "You did what?!"

Aradia chimes in. "We broke them. They are now broken."

"You destroyed all my hard work?! Where is the respect?"

"What kind of respect do you think we owe you?" Vriska scoffs. "You've kidnapped us. You're lucky we only broke your work and not your face, asshole."

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" They half-screech. You didn't think it would be possible for their voice to get any worse. "Useless fucking bitches…"

Kanaya's eyes narrow as she throws in her own two cents. "Your cardboard walls weren't very stable. Even if we hadn't merciless destroyed every last one, they would've collapsed anyway."

"Not to mention how badly they were painted," Jade adds.

"Yeah, they were a real mess!" Feferi agrees. "I don't think you actually tried all that hard…"

"Every part of it was awful. Tell us where we are and let us go," Vriska demands.

"All of you, shut up! Get into the hall now so I can start this game properly!"

"Or, hear me out here," Terezi interjects, "you answer us now and we don't beat your ass for it."

"If any of you fuckers try touch me, everyone will pay for it. You wanna be the bitch that gets everyone killed?" His voice drops. The annoyingness of it doesn't leave, but it does go low and dangerous.

An uneasy hush settles over the group as you all take in the words and try to figure out whether or not the threat is serious. You don't want to take that chance, but as it turns out Eridan doesn't feel the same. He flips the end of his scarf over his shoulder and takes a step forward.

"Yeah, right. I think it's pretty damn unlikely you're actually gonna hurt any of us-"

But he's cut off by the barrel of a gun being pointed directly at his face. The gun doesn't go off, thank fuck, but it's pointed right at him and the short asshole looks deadly serious.

The colour drains from his face. His mouth falls open- in shock or to speak, you don't know- but he doesn't move another muscle. He remains frozen, as do all of you for several moments until Feferi steps forward to pull him back to the group. Although he stumbles, you watch as he very deliberately makes sure he's standing between Feferi and the gun. No one wants to speak up after that, but after about half a minute, Aradia caves.

"Fine. Where do you want us to go?"

You're led down to the doors that wouldn't open before and oh, who'd have guessed it, they've been unlocked. They open into a hall that feels far too big compared to the rest of the building. While it's decorated sparsely, it also seems unreasonably messy. The only attractive part of the room is a corkboard hanging alone on the wall to your left, covered in artwork. You can't see the pieces clearly from here, but you can see that they're all bright, and happy drawings. Nothing like the rest of the building. You want to try to get a closer look, but the kid marches over and rips them straight off the board. The cruelty of having the only positive thing you've seen so far ripped away makes your heart sink.

With the pictures gone, you instead turn your attention to the stage at the end of the room. You don't know why you could possibly need a stage, but there it is. The curtains hang almost shut, only a sliver of the actual stage showing.

The asshole trots up to the front of your group and sneers at all of you. "Stay right the fuck here. The stage isn't set yet."

Vriska laughs right in their face. "Oh, you have got to be kidding."

"I'm dead serious, bitch," they bark. "Stay. Here."

You're about ready to kill them, but they have a gun and you do not, so you decide to not be a total fucking idiot. Judging by everyone's expressions, they're thinking the same thing.

They disappear for long enough that people start drifting into groups to have conversations. After a moment of deliberation, you decide to join them.

**Who will you talk to first?  
Selection: Kanaya, Rose, and Jade.**

You head for a group of girls who look to be the sanest ones around. They're all chatting amicably, but none of them are hiding the tension and anxiety on their faces. Kanaya is the only one to see you coming, and she offers a tight-lipped smile. The other two turn.

"Hello Karkat," she says softly. "I don't suppose you've figured out anything that's going on?"

"Not even a little," you respond regretfully. "All I know is that that fucker has a gun, and we're unarmed, and I don't know about the rest of you but I'm not really jazzed at the idea of getting shot, so all we can really do is go along with whatever bullshit he spews at us."

"I disagree." Rose crosses her arms. "There's one of him, them, whatever pronoun that little shit prefers, and sixteen of us. Without the gun they're helpless. If we all worked together, we could disarm them easily. We shouldn't be spending this time sitting around, we should be making a plan, before they come back."

You decide you like Rose. She's smart enough to make a plan, and brave enough to convince you that she'd go through with it.

"But, Rose, we barely know each other. It'd be super difficult to make sure everyone would cooperate, and we don't know if that little green-suited douche has any back-up! Fighting back could be really risky, we wouldn't know what we're getting ourselves into until it's too late," Jade objects.

But you disagree; "No, I think people would listen. Rose is really convincing; I'd go along with her. But if you want to be a coward about it, go ahead."

Jade's face, which, until this point, had been pensive but still cheery, drops. Sweet turns to sour in an instant. Maybe you shouldn't have said that last bit.

Unfortunately, Kanaya also appears to be against you. "It may be wise to listen to what he says for now. We can always change our minds and fight later on, but we can't choose to un-fight him. If we do decide to fight, we should wait until we have plenty of information. As Jade says, he may have back-up hiding somewhere. Waiting is the most sensible action for now. Once we know for sure he's alone, then we can rip him to shreds."

She may still be agreeing with Jade, but you can't help liking Kanaya. Fighting may not be her first plan, but she's clearly willing to if the opportunity arises.

"Alright, that does make sense, I guess," you concede. "But shouldn't we have a plan in place, in case we do need to fight? I'd rather not end up fucking the whole thing up because we're an uncoordinated gaggle of fucking geese. "

Rose nods. "Of course. Jumping right in without a plan would be suicide. We all saw what almost happened to Eridan."

Your eyes flicker back to Jade as she lets out a long sigh. "How are you all so good with names already? I can barely even remember my own sometimes!"

Since the conversation seems to be derailing, you take this as your cue to duck out and move on to the next group.

**Who will you talk to next?  
Selection: Tavros, Sollux, and Gamzee.**

After surveying the choices, you decide to talk to Tavros and the two guys hanging around him. Or, in clearly-high-guy's case, hanging off him.

Haha. You're calling him by a nickname even though you know his real name. Comedy.

As you approach, they appear to be engrossed in an important discussion, but when you actually get close enough to hear them:

"No, that's… No. Magnets work through-"

"Motherfuckin' miracles."

"No!"

Sollux sounds exhausted, and Gamzee definitely isn't listening to anything he's saying. You wonder how long this has been going on. You lock eyes with Tavros, who looks like he's about to explode from laughter. It must've been at least a while then.

"Everything's just miracles, brother," Gamzee says with a wide smile. He's half draped over Tavros' wheelchair, and you think it's probably a good thing that Tavros can't see him. He's having a hard-enough time not laughing already.

"No, no it isn't- Oh, hey KK." You've been spotted. "Do you mind if I call you that? I'm gonna anyway, but thought I should ask." Somehow, it's only now that you catch his lisp.

"I couldn't give less of a shit what you call me," you tell him, "I only came over here because I thought you were talking about something important."

"We were. Gamzee," he motions to him, even though you know who he is and it would've been obvious anyway, "doesn't understand magnets."

"You cannot look me in the eyes right now and tell me that you actually fucking do," you fire back.

He pauses. "Shut the fuck up."

That sentence is all that it takes for Tavros to finally break into peals of laughter and, holy shit, it is cute. He laughs in little snorts, and it freezes the three of you in place. Tavros brings his hand up to cover his mouth, but Gamzee pushes it back down from behind him.

"Now, that motherfuckin' laugh is the sweetest miracle of all," he drawls, curling himself around until he's just in Tavros' line of sight.

Tavros brings his hand back up to hide behind, smiling bashfully. "I, uh, I don't really agree, but, thank you…!"

"For once, that miracle bullshit is right actually," Sollux says. "That's a really cute laugh, dude."

You can't help agreeing. "Yeah, your laugh is kinda fucking adorable."

He actually manages to blush harder. "Oh, uh, um, thank you…"

This conversation has ended up even further derailed than the last one, so you think it's about time to move along again. You say goodbye to the boys, and get going.

**Who will you talk to next?  
Selection: Vriska and John.**

Onward to the next group. You decide to talk to Vriska, the girl who stole your thunder back in that first room (which you definitely aren't still mad about, that would be petty and ridiculous), and John, who hasn't really done anything much so far. Since Vriska thinks she's oh-so smart, maybe she's figured out what's going on. (Or maybe you should just stop being petty and ridiculous.)

"Hi, Karkat." Vriska's voice is light, but she's clearly regarding you with suspicion. You can't say you blame her, in these circumstances.

"Hey!" John calls. "You've been talking to a ton of people, right? Has any one figured out what's going on yet?"

"Not that I've found. Everyone's just chatting with each other. There's only one person making an actual plan of action, and her plan's just to beat the ever-loving shit out of the little guy if we get the chance."

Vriska interrupts you with a snort. "Whose stupid ass plan is that? There's no way something that dumb would ever work!" Then she adds, slowly and condescendingly: "He has a gun, idiot."

Her flagrant disrespect makes you see red, and you snap back without bothering to think first. "I said "if we get the chance", you thick-headed shitnugget. Obviously, we'd disarm him first, we're not completely fucking brain dead. Not that it fucking matters anyway, since, if you'd let me finish, I would've told you that the plan's been side-lined anyway until we get more information!"

The change in atmosphere is immediate. You watch an angry flush spread over Vriska's face as she responds.

"I'm not a fucking mind-reader, I responded to what you had said. You're the shitnugget, marching over here just to insult me. Looks like someone has a Napoleon complex."

"Hey, hey, let's not fight over a miscommunication," John interjects. "It's not a big deal, we're all just stressed out."

"Speak for yourself. Did you do anything worthwhile, Karkat? Or did you just completely waste everybody's time?"

You scoff. "Like you accomplished anything?"

"At least we're making an effort, and not just coming up with stupidly stupid plans of stupidity!" she sneers.

"It's not even my fucking plan, why are you set on attacking me with it?" You don't mention the fact that you were all for Rose's plan.

"Maybe I'd forget about the plan if it were less stupid."

"Vriska, I could forget you if you were less stupid."

Ah. So, what you did there is called "making a huge mess of things and creating enemies". Even John, who has the biggest baby-face you've ever seen, looks about ready to hit you for it.

"I think I'm going to leave now," you add awkwardly.

"Please," Vriska responds scathingly, "be our guest."

You decide against saying anything else, and just go.

**Who will you talk to next?  
Selection: Terezi and Dave.**

Terezi and Dave are nearby and seem to be having fun, so you make a beeline for them. Maybe talking to them can help you calm down a little.

Dave stops talking when he sees you coming and you see the corners of his mouth twitch. "_Look,_ Terezi. It's Karkat."

And, in the most terrifying fashion, Terezi whirls around to directly face you. "Wow, I sure do love looking at people with my functioning eyes!"

Because you are a master of self-control, you don't scream, and you only flinch a little bit. You're actually very grateful that Terezi couldn't see it because you are completely certain she would've laughed at you. "Please never do that again."

"Do what?" She tilts her head curiously.

"You looked directly at me. But, obviously, you couldn't have known that, you can't see me, the universe just hates me and wants me to be terrified all the time! That could've been a fun little moment, Dave makes a blind joke, we all laugh, everything's fine, but no, because nothing can ever go normally in my life! It always has to be awful for me! Of course, you looked straight at me. What else could possibly have fucking happened in that moment."

"Oh, sweet," she gives you a toothy grin, "that's exactly what I was trying to do." Her smile almost reminds you of a shark- but in a good way. You decide that that's actually a really bad metaphor. Comparing girls to sharks is probably a bad idea overall.

"Hey, since you're here, settle this argument for us. Would you rather fight one horse sized duck, or a hundred duck sized horses?" Despite the complete stupidity of the question, everything about Dave tells you he's being dead serious.

"That is the single worst question that anyone has ever fucking asked me, but horse sized duck, obviously."

"No!"

"Yes!" Terezi looks utterly delighted, so you suppose you must've taken her side.

"It would be a massive duck. Just a huge ass fucking duck." Dave protests. "Do you know how strong swans are? Swan sized swans can break your whole arm, dude. Imagine the strength of a horse sized duck."

"It's not a horse sized swan though, you inflamed sparklefuck. Ducks are weak as shit with their little pathetic wings and their vacuous flapping beaks. I could beat the shit out of a duck, I don't care how big it is."

"Alright, okay, but consider this: fighting a hundred little horses would be a way cooler story."

It would've been entertaining to hear how he planned to defend that point, but you don't give him the chance, cutting him off straight away.

"I can't believe I actually have to explain this, you numbskulled imbecilic fuck-balloon, but no the hell it would not. It would be a boring as fuck story. How the shit would that be cool? "And then, get this, I hit another tiny horse." That's the lamest fucking story that could ever exist in the history of existence, shitstain."

"Yeah, that's a valid point, I guess, except no, it isn't, and you're wrong." Dave pushes his stupid shades up. "If the duck's a fucking wimp like you said, what's the point? Where's the challenge? The intrigue?"

"Doesn't have to be challenging. If I want it to sound impressive, I can just exaggerate, not that an assbitching douchepress like you would ever think of that. Easier fight, easier to make it sound awesome, and doesn't involve a hundred tiny fucking horses."

"Hearing your argument is making my own sound so much funnier," Terezi laughs. It occurs to you that her laugh sounds like a cackle. Then it occurs to you that that usually isn't a good thing. You should probably stop trying to describe Terezi. You're spectacularly awful at it.

"Why, what was your argument?"

"I wouldn't be able to keep track of a hundred tiny horses, lmao." Yes, she says lmao out loud.

"Well…" You hesitate for a brief moment. "That's fair."

"Alright, you two may have valid arguments," Dave interrupts, "but you're still wrong."

"And why is that?" You shoot back.

"Because." He pauses, pursing his lips. "Because fuck you. Fuck you is why."

Terezi snorts at him. "Ha. You know we're right. High five."

You, being an absolute idiot, manage to forget that she can't see your hand, so you both proceed to stand there for several seconds with your hands raised like complete fools until someone- Dave, of course, he's the only one of you with any bloody braincells- grabs your hands and pushes them together.

It's a pitiful excuse for a high five.

"That was a pitiful excuse for a high five," Terezi informs you.

"Yep. Yeah, that was entirely my fault. I'm a moronic douchefuck, and think I'm gonna go talk to someone else until the shame wears off."

"'Kay, see you never then." She laughs again. "There's no way to live that one down!"

"That's fair," you call back as you hurry to find a new, hopefully less embarrassing interaction to have.

**Who will you talk to next?  
Selection: Aradia, Nepeta and Equius. **

You don't want to deal with the hipster douchecrumpet and bubbles girl right now, so you head for the final trio instead. You approach with some degree of caution, since you really haven't seen enough of them to know what to expect from this. Judging by the big smile on Nepeta's face though, you're probably going to be fine.

"Hi Karkat!" She waves, showing off her bright gloves. "How are you?"

"I'm confused and completely fucking terrified, but I always feel like that so who gives a shit! Any of you three got any clue what the hell is going on?"

Nepeta raises her eyebrows at you. "That's not a good feeling to have! And no," she sighs, "we're all purr-etty confused too."

"The whole situation is… less than ideal," Aradia comments, absentmindedly twirling a strand of her hair.

"Bit of a fucking understatement, but sure. Less than ideal does accurately describe this bullfuckery." You manage to catch her eye as you finish speaking, and when you do, you catch a glimmer of… something. You can't quite place it, but it's an odd contrast to her apathetic voice.

"I suppose it could be considered an understatement." She considers this for a moment before nodding. "Are you not joining us in conversation Equius?"

"I refuse to lower myself to interaction with one so crass." Even behind his cracked shades, you can feel his glare boring into your skull. Holy shit, that's one intimidating dude.

"Wow. Fucking, okay, I guess." What can you say, really?

Nepeta frowns and pokes Equius' arm. "Don't mind him, Karkitty, Equius is just a little grumpy." That's the second nickname you've gained so far. "He'll purr-obably lighten up when we find out what's going on!"

"Don't patronise me, Nepeta," he sighs, but a smile's tugging at the corners of his mouth. Seems these two have become fast friends.

"Whate-fur you say, Equius!"

Maybe it's the cat puns, cat ears on her hat, or the claws attached to her gloves, but you think Nepeta may possibly be a furry. You get the same vibe from Equius, but you'd rather not think too much about that one.

"Look, if you're gonna judge me for swearing, then we're gonna have a big-ass problem, because I have no intention of stopping and we don't have a damn clue when we're getting out of this hellhole."

"Overlooking his language would be the most advantageous thing to do," Aradia helpfully contributes. Her calmness in this situation is somehow both unnerving and comforting.

Nepeta doesn't speak in your defence, but she does pout at Equius pleadingly, which is just as good in your opinion, and clearly does help since the next thing he says is:

"I suppose I could… attempt to see past it." He doesn't sound enthusiastic, but it's something and at least he doesn't look like he's about to twist your head off to use as a bowling ball anymore. However, he still doesn't seem to like you, and you get the feeling it'd be best to just move on.

"Y'know what?" You say. "I was gonna leave soon anyway. I'll just do that. Bye."

"Oh… Okay. Bye, Karkitty!" Nepeta seems disappointed, but she smiles anyway.

"You won't be far away," Aradia points out. "There isn't much use in making a big deal of this."

Not seeing a point in waiting for Equius to speak, you wave to the girls and go on your way.

**Who will you speak to last?  
Selection: Eridan and Feferi.**

As you walk over to the last two left to speak to, you pick up on a couple things. Firstly, that Eridan is blatantly trying to flirt. Probably not the best thing to do at this exact moment, but whatever. But secondly, and more importantly, Feferi is clearly not interested. She's doing that laugh that you recognise as the "I'm laughing so I don't have to answer you" laugh. It's probably a good thing you're interrupting.

Even though they clearly haven't gotten anything done, you start the same way you've been starting with everyone else: "Hey, either of you fuckwits figured out what the fuck is happening?"

"Well." Eridan hesitates. "No. We've just been getting to know each other." You notice a slight stutter over the 'w's. There's a slight grimace on his face after each one, so you decide it's the sort of thing you should just ignore. Not that it was ever really worth bringing up in the first place.

"Yeah!" Feferi looks much more comfortable already. "Just making small talk, y'know?"

"Cool, great, so productive. I've been trying to get information from people, but apparently no one knows a fucking thing."

"Not surprisin' comin' from this lot," Eridan snorts. "They barely seem intelligent enough to function."

"Rude, but based on what I've seen so far, yeah. They may be nice and all, but most of them are just fucking idiots."

Feferi crosses her arms. "Hey! That's not nice! We should be trying to make friends, not anemones!"

"Oh no," you correct her, "I _like_ them- well, most of them, there's a few that really make me want to eat a fucking brick- they're just all kinda imbeciles."

Eridan huffs and tosses the end of his scarf over his shoulder much more dramatically than was necessary. "I don't really care for any of them, but we do agree on their stupidity."

"Great. We have a whole one thing in common." However sarcastic you're being, you do actually feel the start of a connection with him. He doesn't seem half bad so far. Hopefully nothing happens to ruin that.

"Guys!" Feferi whines. "We have to be frondly, we don't know how long we might be stuck here! It's important to get along with everyone."

You decide to just acquiesce. She does have a point after all. "Okay, fine, some of them are smart. Like Kanaya. Kanaya seems pretty smart."

Eridan huffs again. "I don't know who that is, so I guess I'll just have to take your word for it."

"But… Eridan, we all fin-troduced ourselves earlier!" Feferi's fish puns are starting to get a little out of hand.

"Wasn't listening."

"Yeah, I kinda got the vibe you didn't give a shit," you say. "I'm guessing you don't know my name either."

He flushes. "Well, it's just embarrassing to admit it to your face, but… no."

You consider not telling him. You really do consider being a dick and letting him suffer. But then you remember that Feferi's right and also that she'll probably tell him anyway if you don't. "My name's Karkat, and I'm not telling you again, so you better get it drilled into your flailing asscactus of a brain."

He gives you a massive, shit-eating grin. "What was that?"

So, it turns out he's a total bastard. You like him a lot. Just as a witty response comes to you, everything is thrown out of your brain by the most horrifying rush of microphone feedback you've ever heard. Several people- yourself included- stumble from the shock of it, and the groups end up drawing back together. Probably for the best, since the curtains promptly swing back to reveal that the short asshole has returned.


	2. The Green We See Is Something Evil

The curtains swing back, and the piece of shit who apparently kidnapped all of you steps forward. As if the first clamour of feedback wasn't bad enough, they tap the microphone repeatedly until it causes another. You clamp your hands over your ears and glance about the stage. It appears they were being literal when they said the stage wasn't set; where it was previously empty, there are now things scattered everywhere, as well as a single neat pile of… something. Honestly, you can't see what any of the things actually are.

They step up to a lectern right at the front of the stage, the most punchable smile peeking out from the bottom of the mask, as they start to speak.

"Alright boys and bitches, it's time for my announcement, so all you better listen the fuck up, got it?" Their voice sounds even worse now that it's being amplified straight at you. And you thought Kankri's voice was bad… You make a mental note to apologise for ever making fun of his voice when you make it home.

"Hurry up, we're fucking bored," Vriska scowls, somehow unafraid despite the previous threat. You still instinctively hate her, but her bravery does demand some level of respect.

"Shut up!" The asshole hisses back. "Let's start with the best bit; you're all stuck here now!" Obviously, this causes more than a few complaints from just about everyone, but he goes on. "_Stop talking!_ All of you are here for a reason, but those reasons are dumb and not important, and you can hear about them later when I want you to."

Your first thought is ransom money. What other reason is there to kidnap a group of children? But… Why would you be here? Your family isn't rich. You aren't special. _What the fuck?_

"The end date for your new life here is exactly… Never! You're all staying here forever. And we're going to play a game." They finish with a malicious grin, letting the words set in.

The statement causes an immediate uproar. If they aren't planning to let you go, then you can't be here for money. But why else would you be here? What are they planning?

Your attention is drawn to Feferi as she stomps her foot. "You won't get away with this! My mother and sister will cull you!" She holds her head high, but her lip is trembling.

Eridan steps closer to her. "She's right. Our families will be lookin' for us, and I know mine won't give up til' I'm found." His voice wavers on every word. They're both panicking just as much as you are.

Short-asshole laughs. "Yeah, I guess that would be a problem..." They pause for a few moments before continuing; "If they didn't already think you're all dead!" They punch the air like that was some kind of epic statement. It really wasn't that cool, but that doesn't mean it didn't still shake you to your core.

There are very few of you that don't begin to panic. While everyone else draws closer together, fear showing on their faces, Vriska, Aradia, and Dave stand strong. Vriska actually rolls her eyes at them.

"That's right! I faked your deaths, no one's looking for you and now you all have to play my game!"

"Y'know, that's the second time you've mentioned your "game" but like," Dave gestures vaguely, "you haven't mentioned what the game is? Like are we just playing Scrabble for eternity now 'cause, I should warn you, my vocabulary is facetious."

Vriska groans at the last part, but agrees nonetheless. "Yeah, if you're so obsessed with this game, why haven't you explained it yet? Unless you already know how dumb it is and you're trying to scare us so we won't notice?"

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" They stomp their foot down repeatedly. "My game is your only way out!"

Your attention is immediately drawn straight back to them. It occurs to you that this is probably what they wanted, but you can't find it in you to care.

"If you _really_ want to leave," they draw the vowels out, forcing emphasis into every word, "it's actually pretty easy. There's only one thing you need to do." They pause. "Two. Two things you need to do. It's so simple. Such an easy task-"

"Tell us what the fuck we need to do, you brainless shitflining asswipe," you interrupt.

"Kill someone."

Oh.

Chaos erupts around you again. You feel frozen in place and your throat has closed up, and everything keeps getting louder, louder, louder. _Am I having a panic attack?_ you wonder, but you can't think enough to answer your own question. All you know is that people are talking, and you're not, people are moving, and you're not, people are comforting each other and you're-

"Yeah, that's not happening." Out of the imbroglio of voices, Dave's is the only one to reach you. "As if any of us would be so stupid. How dumb d'you think we are? Like hell my Bro'll believe I'm dead without a body. As long as one person's lookin' for us, we'll just wait you out. No one's gonna kill anyone."

His shades are hiding his eyes, but you get the distinct feeling he's looking at you as he speaks. It's almost comforting to think that he may have noticed you in particular, but it's also extremely embarrassing. How obvious were you being? But, regardless, the panic is fading. He's right.

"Yeah!" Terezi joins in. "We aren't just gonna start killing people because you say so."

"Sure, you think that now. But soon you're gonna realise that _I'm_ right and _you're_ wrong, and this is the only way out! And then you'll all start to crumble and break and I'll win." The little shit has the audacity to laugh after their mini-speech. Their laugh is harsh and grating, even worse than their voice, and it makes the last of your worry turn to anger.

"Like hell we will," you explode. "Either someone's gonna find us, or we'll just escape, we aren't playing your stupid game in this fruity rumpus asshole factory!"

"Well, I'd like to see that kind of bravado after I tell you about the shitty twists of this game!" He sneers.

"Could you stop giving us all these empty statements? You've shaken everyone up more than enough already; there is no reason to continue trying to create suspense," Aradia says in that same monotone voice.

The shortie looks like he's about to throw a tantrum. "None of you appreciate drama! Or suspense! Well, if you aren't gonna put in any effort then neither will I! For every day that no one dies, I'm gonna fire this gun. Maybe at someone's head. Maybe at one of your door locks. Wherever I want to! Is that a risk you're willing to take every day?"

"Yeah, probably," Vriska replies, idly twiddling with her hair.

"All of you. _Suck_," they spit, "and I can't _wait_ to break you. But to break you, you have to play the game, so I have to finish explaining, so shut up!"

"There's more?" Sollux's groan pretty much sums up how you, and probably everyone else, are feeling by this point. How much more can this idiot possibly have to say?

"Yes. But Sister knew I'd just get sick of you and want to kill you all, so she made there. Now I don't have to put up with you, dipshits!" They hold up a stack of… something. You can't really tell, but you think they might be tablets.

After a few seconds pass without anyone moving, until they narrow their eyes at the group. "Are one of you dumbasses going to take these, or do I have to do everything around here?"

You exchange glances with everyone. It couldn't be more obvious that no one wants to go near him; even those happy to stand up to him hang back. Finally, Equius bites the bullet and goes forward to collect them. He carefully flips them over and starts handing them out in an odd order, which leads you to believe they must have some indication of assignment.

It doesn't take long for the sixteen tablets to be passed out and you have yours in your hands. You press the power button and the screen lights up with two words conjoined: _carcinoGeneticist_.

… What the fuck does that mean?

It tells you to swipe the screen, so you do, and are greeted with a few options; _Map, Truth Bullets, Communication, IDs, Rules _and _Settings_. You decide to start with Settings.

Overall, the Settings seem pretty standard. Language, brightness, and a few different colour schemes. You choose a nice grey tone, save the change, and move on.

Next up is Rules. You aren't expecting much out of this, but you click into it anyway. Clearly there's at least _something_ they haven't told you yet, or you wouldn't have these.

_1\. If you attack or attempt to attack the Brother, you get shot.  
2\. If you disobey an order from the Brother, you get shot.  
3\. If you try to escape, you get shot._

The short asshole mentioned having a sister, so you suppose "the Brother" must be him.

_4\. If you attack or attempt to attack the Sister, you will be punished.  
5\. If you refuse a request from the Sister, you will be punished._

You don't know anything about "the Sister" but based on those two rules alone you think you're going to like her a lot more than the Brother.

_6\. Night time begins at 10pm and ends at 9am.  
7\. Certain areas are closed during night time. Being in these areas after hours will be considered disobeying an order.  
8\. If you want to leave, get away with murder.  
9\. If you don't get away with the murder, you will be executed._

"Wait, wait, hold up," you call, "you never said anything about rule nine."

"Wow, how fast do you read, Karkitty? I haven't even opened the rules yet." Nepeta exclaims.

"I started at the end. But that's not important right now, what's important is what the fuck is this?"

The Brother groans like a child. Come to think of it, it's highly possible that he _is_ a child. He acts like one, he's small enough to be one. Maybe he's just a kid with a gun.

"It means that it isn't as easy as just killing someone. That'd be stupid and boring and not even a game! You need to get away with it. Get through a trial without being caught."

Terezi perks up at this. "A trial? We get to hold trials?"

"Yes. That's what I just said."

"Then even if someone _does_ decide to play your stupid game, we'll be fine. I can catch a killer, easy." Her confidence manages to lift your spirits, at least a little.

"So basically, you've already provided a reason for us not to do it. Awesome."

The room drops into silence as you start reading again, but you have more to say almost immediately because the next words you read are:

_10\. If you get away with murder, everyone else will be punished._

"And what in the _fuck_ is rule 10?"

"There need to be high stakes for a game to be fun, idiot!" He hisses down at you. "Otherwise where's the fucking point?"

"How is killing teenagers for guessing a murderer wrong _fun_?" you shoot back.

An awful, eerie smile spreads over his face as he locks eyes with you. "How isn't it?"

You don't know what you can say to that. Clearly he doesn't have any respect for your lives. There's no way to reason with him. You hold eye contact until you can't stand it anymore, then go back to looking through the tablet. Can't get out of this without knowing everything, you suppose.

The rules are done, so you move on to IDs.

When you open the section, Aradia's ID automatically opens up. The screen shows you a picture of her, sized and positioned like a typical ID photo, but it doesn't look anything like one. For one, she's smiling. It looks like there was someone next to her, but they've been cropped out of the photo. Beside her is general information on her; age, birthday, height and then a notes section at the bottom which only reads "Expendable." The single word sends a chill down your spine. Expendable?

You click on to the next ID, Tavros', and find pretty much the same. A clearly cropped photo, basic information, and the word "Expendable". You keep going. Sollux's page, along with your own follow the same pattern. Then Nepeta.

_Notes:_ _Large social media following._

So, having followers stops her from being expendable? You don't really understand that, but you suppose it might be the attention? More people will notice that she's missing than you.

You start clicking through the rest of the screens, checking each person's Notes and ignoring the rest.

_Kanaya: Daughter of a popular designer._

_Terezi: Daughter of world-renowned PI._

_Vriska: Comes from a rich family._

_Equius: Well-known roboticist and fighter._

_Gamzee: Heir to a large business._

_Eridan: Son of a powerful businessman._

_Feferi: Princess of a small country._

_John: Grandson of a big business owner. _

_Rose: Daughter of a famous author._

_Dave: Large social media following._

_Jade: Well-known physics prodigy._

Sixteen people, four marked as expendable. But the other twelve… You aren't sure how to feel about some of them anymore.

"Oh shit, Feferi, is this thing for real?" Dave holds up his screen and you see that he's just read her ID too.

The princess in question looks up and her face flushes as she scans the screen. "Well… yes, but I'm not even the oldest sister, it's really not that big of a deal!"

"Okay, sweet, just wanted to check." He looks back down the tablet and keeps clicking.

Dave just said "okay, sweet" to a princess and you can't even figure out if it was disrespectful. Feferi's made it obvious she doesn't want to be singled out over it, so maybe it was the best thing to do? But even so, she's literally royalty. Whatever. You go back to reading, deciding to worry about these details later.

The _Communication_ section offers a fairly basic messaging system. The conjoined words from the first screen show up again, up in the corner, with a list of other names going down the left side. They're all completely unidentifiable, but you figure that'll be dealt with later. You spot an option to create group chats, which you think may come in handy if you remain trapped here.

_Truth Bullets_ is greyed out, so you move on to the _Map. _And who'd have guessed it, it's a map of the building. It looks like there's options to view other floors, but they're all greyed out. You've already seen the rooms for yourself. This was pointless. Half the rooms don't even have any marking on them.

Now that you've seen everything and since everyone else is still busy reading, you decide this is the ideal time to have a nice little inner monologue.

You're still freaking out a considerable amount. This situation is many things, but it is certainly not normal and is definitely something you're going to need a therapist for. If the "Brother" is telling the truth about faking everyone's deaths, it'll be ripping Kankri and your dad apart. There are fifteen other people here, all strangers, who's families must be going through the same thing. You're being told that you need to kill someone to leave and it's already very obvious that you're much weaker than many of these people. So many things are going on that it feels like it's cancelling itself out. The more things that pile on, the less you feel it. Because, realistically, how can any of this be happening? Nothing feels real anymore.

Part of you still knows that it is happening. All of this, as insane as it feels, is real. But you don't want to believe it. You want to believe Dave's insistence that it's going to be fine. You want to trust Terezi's agreement. You want to trust your _own_ agreement. But you can't.

"It's almost night time now," the Brother declares. "The only room that closes right now is this one, so you all better fuck off and go to sleep. You'll need to be up bright and early in the morning." He grins menacingly as everyone starts to clear out of the room. You glance back as you leave, just in time to see him trip over his microphone wire. You can't find it in you to laugh.

As the group reassembles in the corridor, Feferi jumps up to the front and clears her throat.

"Hello, everyone! I'm guessing we've all seen each other's IDs and are aware of everyone's status, including my own. I really hope this doesn't change how we all feel about each other! I also assume we've all seen the messaging function? I'll be making us a group chat once we're all a little more settled. Even if we'll never be far away, I think it'll be helpful."

"Once you do," Jade adds, "we should probably send our names to the group chat. The usernames would be impossible to figure out!"

"That's a great idea, Jade! Thank you. And thank you to everyone else for listening." She gives a polite curtsey and slips back in with the group seamlessly.

"So… we're just gonna go to bed now?" John asks.

"It's literally only ten pm, but what can you fuckin' do, I guess," Dave answers. "Did anyone pay attention to if the rooms are assigned or can we just go wild?"

Vriska is quickly responds; "They're in the same stupid order as the IDs. What is with the order anyway, it doesn't make any sense."

"Who cares?" Eridan complains. "I just want to lie down."

A chatter of agreements comes from throughout the group, and you all head for your bedrooms. You haven't been awake long, but you're exhausted anyway.

The set-up of the rooms feels awfully eerie. They're off on their own corridor, a long and slim hall that makes the whole area feel like a horror movie. Some of the lights don't work, either flickering or staying off completely. You're dismayed to find that one of the flickering lights is directly outside your room.

Before you can enter your room, you hear the dull thud of something hitting a wall. You turn around and find Tavros sitting with his head down and the wheel stuck against the doorframe.

"Shit," he murmurs.

"Motherfuck, brother, you good there?" Gamzee's at his side in a moment, before you've even thought to help.

"Yeah, I just, uh- I just can't- my wheels are kinda- my wheels don't fit."

Equius appears beside them, almost out of nowhere. "If I had the proper tools, I could sand the door frame down, but it may compromise the integrity of the lock."

"Well, it's uh- it's really only the bottom of the door that's uh, causing the problem? The lock is high- high enough that it's not- uh- not in the way. Although, I- I don't really know where you'd find any tools any- anyway."

He nods sagely. "A more immediate solution will need to be found."

"Hows' about I just motherfucking…" Gamzee trails off as he carefully- and after pausing to let Tavros stop him if necessary- scoops him out of the chair. "And I can just stay with ya." He gives him a lop-sided smile.

"Oh, yeah, that's, uh- that'd be fine." Tavros hooks his arms around Gamzee's neck.

Equius gives the pair a sharp nod, accompanied by an awkward smile as they enter Tavros' room. He passes by you as he walks to his own, and shoots you a dirty look. You suddenly feel guilty for eavesdropping.

Just as you once again turn to enter your room, you hear a loud _"fuck"_ from a few doors over. You look up to see if Equius is still there, but the only other person left in the corridor is Dave. The two of you lock eyes and carefully approach the source of the noise.

A second shout comes from behind Terezi's door just as you reach it. You look to Dave, but he just shakes his head.

You hesitate, then call out, "Terezi? Everything alright in there?"

"I just walked into _everything_," she yells back.

Dave sighs and leans against the wall. "Do you need help, or are you chill?"

"Yeah, I could use a hand," she answers. "Just to figure out where everything is."

He tugs at the doorknob, but the room is locked. "You're gonna have to let us in."

"Cool, I don't know where the door is. Get Karkat to say something, he's loud enough to guide me there immediately."

"I came here to help you, not get fucking roasted."

And the door opens. Terezi grins wickedly, before motioning for the two of you to enter.

For some reason, the blandness of the rooms takes you by surprise all over again. You saw them earlier, but it didn't occur to you quite how ominously empty they are at the time.

"What the blistering fuck did you walk into anyway?" you have to ask. "There's literally only like five things in here."

"A desk, I think? But that explains why your voices are bouncing about so much." She starts trying to move around again, keeping one hand against the wall to guide her, until you gently take her arm to guide her more efficiently.

"Seems like he went out of his way to make this hard for the disabled folks," Dave observes. "Does your tablet even have a screen reader enabled?"

"Nope, it's totally useless to me." She grimaces. "I had no idea what anyone was talking about earlier."

"Give me, I'll see if there's anything hidden in the settings." Dave taps her arm so she knows where he and she dispenses the tablet from her pocket. He starts messing about with the settings as you continue helping her find the few objects in the room.

"What is actually in here, by the way?" she asks you.

"You're like a step away from the bed right now, and door's straight ahead if you face this way," you turn her to her left before continuing. "The desk you walked into is a little to the right of that, and there's a chest of drawers over in this direction," you turn her again, "with a TV on it. Oh, and there's a bedside table on the left of the bed. And a bathroom too."

"Where's the bathroom? That'd be a useful thing to know."

You direct her from the bed to the bathroom, and then to each thing in the room, until she can confidently get around by herself. She memorises everything impressively quickly, and by the time Dave is done with the tablet she's able to get to everything without you saying a word.

"Okay, I think I got it." Dave says eventually. "It was hidden under a ton of different menus, but it should be working now. You wanna try it out?"

"Hell yeah! Thanks Dave." She follows his voice and makes it to him with almost no trouble, taking the tablet excitedly.

She quickly gets it working, and the voice that comes out is a surprise to all of you. It's certainly not an AI, but it is weirdly familiar in a way you almost can't place. It's gentle and sweet but also scratchy- then it hits you. The voice is almost identical to the asshole that's trapping you all here.

"Hey, is it just me or does that sound like the short shitstain?" Surely it's not just your imagination.

"Nah, it's definitely almost him," Terezi answers. "Something's different about it though. He mentioned having a sister, right?"

Dave answers before you can. "Yeah. She was probably the one that set it up, since he's proved he doesn't give a shit about disabled people."

"Cool. Well I'm basically a master at moving about this room now, so you two can go."

"Nice. Sweet dreams." Dave wastes no time in rushing out the door. You guess he must be really tired.

"Good night, Terezi. Try not to walk into anything again," you say before following him. She sticks her tongue out as you go.

You hear the lock click shut behind you and head straight for your own room. The first thing you do it get the door locked. Like hell you're going to risk leaving that open. Glancing around, the plainness of the room hits you again. If you're going to be stuck here indefinitely, you better at least be allowed to decorate a bit.

Not wanting to sleep in your clothes, you check one of the drawers and find a pile of what you're certain are literally your own clothes. Well, if he can fake your death, you suppose it's not _too_ surprising that the Brother can steal your clothes. You hunt through drawers until you find a set of pyjamas. They're old and definitely not the ones you wanted to find, but you can't bring yourself to care as you turn off the light as stumble into bed. You hadn't realised quite how tired you were. Getting kidnapped sure takes a lot out of you.

It's time to stop thinking about today and accept the inevitable onslaught of tomorrow. That's when shit will get real- probably.


	3. A New Way Of Living

The morning hits you like a freight train as soon as you open your eyes. Your TV is lit up with the Brother's stupid mask as he screeches out some awful wake-up message. You're so tired that you only manage to catch a few words- namely "lazy shits", "9am" and "up now". After lobbing a pillow at it, you begrudgingly force your eyes open, and swing your legs over the size of the bed. Time to start your day… you guess.

It takes a few minutes for you to get ready. You don't trust this place enough to shower yet, but you feel clean enough anyway, so you're probably safe to forego it. You use extra deodorant and scruff your hair up a little just in case. It takes a bit of checking it over, but you eventually decide the toothbrush isn't poisoned and brush your teeth.

The clothes in the drawers are all yours or, at least, identical to yours, so you're able to pull an outfit together in no time. You're relieved to find your spare binder tucked away in the corner under some crumpled shirts, and toss it in the pile before actually getting dressed.

And now you're ready to start your day. On a physical level at least. Emotionally is a whole other issue. Regardless of how you feel, the day will move on so you might as well get on with it.

You decide to check your tablet to see if Feferi's started up the group chat she promised, and find that she has.

\- cuttlefishCuller [CC] opened a group chat with apocalypseArisen [AA], adiosToreador , twinArmageddons [TA], carcinoGeneticist [CG], arsenicCatnip [AC], grimAuxilatrix [GA], gallowsCalibrator [GC], arachnidsGrip [AG], centaursTesticle [CT], terminallyCapricious [TC], caligulasAquarium [CA], ghostyTrickster [GT], tentacleTherapist [TT], turntechGodhead [TG], and gardenGnostic [GG]. -

CC: )(i guys! It's Feferi if you didn't figure t)(at out already. Sorry I made this so late at nig)(t, but I couldn't get to sleep and figure I mig)(t as well do somefin useful!

CC: Like I said w)(en I first mentioned t)(at I was going to make t)(is, can you all re-fintroduce yourselves? T)(ese nicknames are )(ard to guess 38(

TA: 2ure. thii2 ii2 2ollux.

GA: This Is Kanaya.

TG: im dave and gc is terezi

AA: this is aradia

AC: :33 nya-peta here!

AG: Vriska.

GT: hey its john!

The last message was sent just after midnight. It feels awkward to reply so late, but better late than never.

CG: HEY, THIS IS KARKAT.

Almost immediately, more messages start to come through.

TT: This is Rose.

CT: D - This is Equius

GG: hey! its jade

AC: hEY,,,, tHIS IS TAVROS,, aND TC IS GAMZEE,,,

CA: youre all so uncreativve

TA: fuck off ampora

GA: Did Anyone Else Notice That All Of Our Usernames Feature The Same Four Letters?

GA: Just Wondering If It Might Be Significant.

TG: GATG

TG: could spell act or cat

TG: or tag

TG: but then youre missing out the g or the c

TG: cant just abandon that little dude

TG: what kinda shitty people would we be if we wrenched that poor lil letter from its buddies

TG: thatd make us a bunch of fucking assholes

CG: YOU LITERALLY COULD'VE JUST SAID NO.

TG: now you see, that would have been the easy thing to do

TG: so why the fuck would i ever want to do it

CC: If we don't mind moving along from the naming coincidences, I was )(oping we could all )(ave breakfast toget)(er!

CC: Of course, I don't believe that anyone will actually take the bait, but sticking together should keep us all extra safe!

TT: That seems like a good plan. However, the kitchen is definitely not big enough to hold all of us.

TT: It would probably be wise to divide into two groups; one to cook, and one to wait.

TG: yeah seems fair theres a whole shit ton of us

TG: too many cooks spoil the broth and all that

TT: That saying was not intended to be taken literally, but I suppose it does work in this context.

TT: Anyway, I'm happy to be one of the cooks.

GT: i can help!

CC: I never got the c)(ance to learn )(ow to cook, but I'd be )(appy to learn if you don't mind teac)(ing me!

GA: I Would Also Appreciate The Chance To Learn.

TT: With so many of us, having you two will likely be very helpful. If anyone else wants to learn, they're welcome to join us.

TT: To everyone wanting to help cook; we'll meet in the kitchen in 15 minutes.

AC: :33 ill be there too!

TG: fuck yes cant wait for food

GG: i guess the rest of us can meet up in the dining room and just wait for them!

**Kitchen or Dining Room?  
Selection: Dining Room**

You consider joining them for a moment, but ultimately decide you'll probably just get in the way. There's nothing else you have to do in your room, so you head over to the dining room. You're probably going to be ridiculously early, but at least there's a chance you'll have someone to talk to.

Unsurprisingly, you don't. The room is empty. You pick a seat and sit down to wait.

A few seconds later, your tablet pings again.

TT: I forgot to ask if anyone has any dietary restrictions we need to be aware of.

CT: D - Im vegetarian

GT: if i eat a peanut i could realistically die!

You snort at John's casual delivery of that fact, then put the tablet back down. The question doesn't apply to you, and you don't really care about anyone's answers. And then you wait.

It takes a few minutes, but eventually you're joined by Jade, followed by Gamzee and Tavros, then Vriska a few seconds later. Terezi and Dave are the last to come in. Everyone gives a greeting as they enter and pick a seat, but, after that, you all just sit in silence until it gets unbearable.

"Okay, this is awful," you announce. "It's way too fucking quiet in here, can someone please start talking."

"About what? It's not like we know anything about each other, what are we supposed to say?" Vriska snaps.

Jade lifts her head. "That just means we should be finding out about each other!"

"So, what are you suggesting? We all go around the table and say an interesting fact about ourselves like five-year olds?"

"Well, maybe not that juvenile," she answers, "but yeah! We could start off with something small, like our age and pronouns."

"You're clearly just looking for an excuse to share your pronouns, but sure, whatever," Vriska sighs. "Everyone else in favour?"

It occurs you that her agreement is probably for that same reason, but you agree along with everyone else, and it's decided that you will literally just go clockwise around the group like little kids. Jade offers to start, and is met with no disagreement.

"Okay, great! I'm sixteen and I use they/them! If you call me she, I'll cry. Your turn, Terezi!"

"I am also sixteen, and I use ze/zem," Terezi says. "Call me anything else and I'll eat your fucking elbows."

"Terrifying!" Dave remarks. "I'm also sixteen and I use he and they, but I don't really care about my pronouns."

There are several seats between you and Dave, but every one of them is empty, so you're up next.

"I'm seventeen, and therefore better than you ass-shitting foetuses, and I also use he/they."

You look to Gamzee, who's sitting another few seats over and hesitates before answering. "I haven't really gotten all up and motherfuckin' settled on any pronouns yet, but any of them neopronouns are chill. And I'm motherfucking sixteen too."

"I'm, uh, I'm sev- seventeen, and I use, uh, I use he/him," Tavros answers.

Normally you don't care about your age compared to others, but after so many people saying they were sixteen, you feel like you just have to ask. "Wait, when's your birthday?"

"It's, uh- it's fucking before- before yours. Bitch."

You flip him off. He does it right back.

"If you're done being total morons," Vriska interrupts, "I'm sixteen and I use she/her. Call me anything else, and you'll die by my hand."

Jade sighs softly and smiles. Seems they'd really wanted to get that off of their chest. "Glad we got that covered! Let's do something more casual next, like… Hogwarts houses? I'm a Ravenclaw!"

Terezi gives a cheek-splitting grin. "I'm a Slytherin."

"Basic Gryffinwhore here," Dave drawls and you immediately wish you had any other house.

"Don't make me fucking associate myself with that statement, I hate you so much, you cockblistering shitstain, I can't fucking _believe_ we share a Hogwarts house, how dare you. How dare you," you repeat for emphasis.

"Okay." The simple response sets something off in your brain and you proceed to make an absolute fool of yourself as you completely lose your fucking mind over it.

You can't even begin to remember- or, indeed, even imagine- half of the things you said, but you're certain the words "insufferable fuckwhiffing dickshit" left your mouth at some point. It takes the realisation that literally everyone is laughing at you and that Dave is probably enjoying this for you to take a breath and calm the fuck down.

"Are the rest of us allowed to like… say our houses now? Or are you too important?" Vriska jabs.

"I'm too important," you say sarcastically.

"Cool, I'm a Slytherin."

Tavros scowls. "It w- It wasn't your turn."

"I didn't see either of you bozos jumping to say anything," she shoots back.

"Hey now, don't motherfuckin' fight," Gamzee interjects.

"Whatever, Hufflepuffs." Vriska leans back in her chair, tilting dangerously.

"I'm a Gryffin- Gryffindor," Tavros grumbles under his breath.

The conversation threatens to dip into silence, but Jade saves everyone from that awkwardness by speaking up again.

"I think it's interesting that we have so many Gryffindors! I wonder what everyone else's houses are…"

"Well, John's obviously another Gryffindor," Vriska states, leaving no room for argument, "but like. A cool one."

"Yeah, that makes sense," Dave agrees. "He seems like a brave bro. A really slamming dude with his priorities straight, an absolutely tubular-"

You cut him off with a sharp "Shut the fuck up" before you lose your shit again.

"That's fair. Anyways, Rose is obviously a Slytherin. She gives off the most aggressive Slytherin vibes ever. It's like the Slytherin literally comes off of her in waves."

Everyone continues along these trains of thought, assigning and reassigning houses until the rest of the group joins you. The kitchen group arrives with plates of French toast and glasses of milk and hands them out quickly. You, of course, thank them, because you aren't an unmannerly pile of trash. They all find a seat around the table and everyone begins to dig in.

A few of you eat faster than others; particularly you and Jade who seems to have just inhaled her meal. With the plate empty in front of her, Jade starts to talk again, quickly filling everyone from the kitchen group in on what they'd missed. She looks to almost everyone for confirmation on what she's saying, but she doesn't get a single thing wrong.

The new-comers go around the group the same way you all did, and you try to keep track of everything being said. You know you'll probably have to write it all down somewhere later if you want to really remember it, but you do your best to absorb it all now regardless. It turns out the only others that are seventeen are Sollux and Nepeta, with the rest of the group being sixteen. Aradia, Kanaya, and Rose all use she/her exclusively. Sollux uses a whole load of pronouns, but you decide you'll probably find he and buzz easiest to remember. Nepeta uses a few as well, but the second "purr" is said, you know that's what you're going to be using for purr. Equius uses she, he and they equally. Eridan and John both use he/him. Feferi uses she and gillself. You run through them all a few times in your head. It's a lot to remember all at once, but you'll do your best.

With pronouns out of the way, Jade moves on to the other discussion.

"Oh, we were also talking about our Hogwarts houses! What house are you guys in?"

"I'm a Slytherin," Rose answers, cutting her food into bite sized pieces.

"I'm in Gryffindor!" John contributes, with an entire slice of toast in his mouth.

The topic is enough to keep everyone talking right through to the end of the meal. It's only cut off when a screen on the wall, which you hadn't even noticed until that moment, lights up. The Brother's face fills the screen and he starts yelling once again.

"I hope you fuckers are ready! It's time to get shot at. Go to the hall and sit on the stage. I won't be warning before I shoot, so good luck surviving!"

Not a second later, the screen blinks out. You and everyone else exchange unamused and only slightly terrified glances, before pushing any inhibitions aside and heading to the hall. Along the way, you, John, and Rose drop all of the cups and plates back at the kitchen.

When you're all standing in the hall, it quickly becomes evident that no one wants to get on the stage. Everyone mills about near the stage, but no one actually sits on it until the Brother finally appears.

"Why the _fuck_ are you all still on the ground?" he screeches. "I told you assholes to get on the stage!"

"Yeah, you did," Vriska places a hand on her hip, "but the thing is, we didn't listen, because we don't care."

The Brother lifts his gun up and points it right at her. You see her skin pale ever so slightly, but she still opens her mouth to retort- until Jade cuts her off.

"Hey, dumbass," they call. "Your safety's on."

While everyone had been focused on the Brother and Vriska, Jade had slipped away to jump up to the stage. They're the only one where they're supposed to be, and the only one the Brother can't reasonably get mad at. A pretty good tactic, you have to admit.

They've certainly succeeded in flustering and distracting him. He's so busy checking if they're telling the truth that he doesn't see everyone quietly scamper back to slip onto the stage. You all figure that he's going to insist you be in the stupid order again, so you organise yourselves into it before he starts making any more direct threats. By the time he's figured out how to use his own weapon, everyone is in place. You glance over to check that Tavros has been gotten up safely, and see him leaning against Aradia.

The Brother finally looks up from the gun- which, honestly, you're starting to think he might not know how to use at all- and glares at each of you in turn. He doesn't speak as he stalks up the stage stairs and starts pacing behind you.

Nepeta grabs your hand after several seconds of him just walking behind you all. You're almost shaking and so is purr, and you can't tell if purrs doing it to comfort you or purrself.

All you heard for the next few minutes are the Brother's footsteps, the terrified breaths of those around you, and your own heart pounding. It drags on and on until it's completely unbearable. He manages to keep his pacing irritatingly consistent, never speeding up or slowing for even a second. Just as you think you're about to lose your mind, it happens.

You never realised quite how loud a gun is.

"Fuck. I missed." You hear scuffling, then his steps retreat. Only when he's completely out of earshot do you allow yourself to breathe freely again.

"Not to alarm anyone," Vriska begins, once everyone seems to have recovered, "but his idea of missing was shooting me in the goddamn arm."

"Dear Lord." Equius turns to her, lifts her arm over her head and starts issuing orders. "Nepeta, get the first aid kit. Aradia, go with purr, and try to find gloves and honey. Oh, and a tampon. A towel too. Everyone else, give us space."

From where you're sitting, you can't see how bad it is, but what you can see is blood starting to pool around her. You do as Equius says and back up.

Sollux is struggling to get Tavros off the stage alone, so you hurry over to help him. Between the two of you, it's an easy task, and therefore not a long-lasting distraction. With nothing else to focus on, your attention drifts back to the Vriska situation.

Nepeta and Aradia are back already, setting everything up around the two of them. The second her arms are empty, Aradia rushes over to the group. Equius works quickly, spreading something over the wound and starting to wrap a bandage around her arm, far above the bullet hole. They speak to her as they work too.

"Are you feeling faint?"

"Nope. I feel fine," Vriska answers.

"Can you feel the wound?" He carefully lays her down on the towel and twists her arm gently.

She shakes her head. "Not the pain of it anyway. I can tell it's there though."

"When the shock wears off, it will be extremely painful. Are you able to dry swallow pills?"

You choose now to tune them out again. The blood is staining the towel and even thinking about it is making you feel queasy.

Most people are huddled into groups, having what seem like rather tense conversations. Moments after you look up, Feferi steps away from Eridan and starts speaking.

"Alright! So, that was quite awful, but we're all alive so I'd say this was a complete success."

"He said he missed." Everyone's attention turns to Terezi. "He probably meant to kill her."

Jade snorts. "He also fell on his butt from the recoil and didn't know the safety was on. I think we're safe."

Their comment sends a nervous titter throughout the group. You're still worried, but they have a good point. He clearly doesn't know how to use the weapon, which can definitely work in your favour.

"He said he'd only fire one bullet each day," Feferi continues after a couple seconds pass, "which means we should be safe for now. I think we should be taking this time to split into small groups and try find out anyfin we can. Check for ways out, see if there's anyfin odd at all, anyfin we can do!" She stares all of you down. "We can't give in to him."

Her words send a jolt of inspiration through your heart. The others must feel the same way, because people start to disperse fairly quickly and before you know it, you're almost completely alone.

**Free time has begun. Who will you spend time with?  
Selection: Gamzee.**

You decide to follow Gamzee. While everyone was leaving, you noticed that Aradia was with Tavros, so you figure there's a good chance that xe'll be alone.

Gamzee isn't hard to track down. You find him in the Rec Room, sitting on a pile of… something. You aren't entirely sure what it is, and xir gangly legs are blocking you from finding out.

Since xe doesn't seem to have noticed you, you call out; "Hey, Gamzee."

"Heya, brother." Xe raises a hand in greeting.

"Fucking wild that Vriska just got shot, huh?" you comment, dropping onto a shitty couch beside xim.

"Pretty motherfuckin' crazy," xe agrees. "She kinda scares me though, I gotta say."

You realise to your utter fury that although xe's sitting far below you, you're only at eye level with xim. Damn your height. "I get that, she's pretty intimidating. And she didn't even mention the bullet for so long, like what the fuck?"

"Motherfuckin' miracle," Gamzee says. You immediately groan.

"It was just adrenaline, but, yeah, sure, fucking miracles, why not." You aren't in the mood to argue against xir miracle bullshit, so you just let it rest.

"Miracles are everywhere, brother. All around us." Part of you wants to cut xim off, but then you see how xir eyes are lighting up and decide you'll just listen.

And listen you do. Xe happily informs you that all the world is miracles, and you pay attention, mostly because it seems to make xim happy. Xe starts trailing into examples of miracles in xir life, eventually informing you that xir biggest miracle is that xe didn't drop out of school.

"It was real motherfuckin' stressful, y'know? But I kept kicking. Not to say I was a star student. Miracles ain't that kind." A mournful look passes over xir face. "Nah. Miracles just ain't that kind."

"I wasn't too great either," you tell xim, hoping you can cheer xim up at least a little. "I studied my ass off, but I was shit under pressure so I'd just keep running out of time or writing the wrong stuff. It was really fucking frustrating."

Xe nods understandingly. "I really motherfuckin' tried for the first couple years, but no one noticed if I did my best or my worst. Gets hard to keep tryin' when no one cares. Just ain't worth it. So, I gave up on all the things I probably shouldn't've. Too motherfuckin' late to fix all that now."

"What shit did you give up on?" Xir words leave you curious. You hadn't thought of xim as the academic type, but-

"Chemistry. Loved that shit as a kid. All them little miracles mixing together, reacting, building up the whole motherfuckin' universe… but I was motherfuckin' _awful_ with numbers. Turns out you kinda need those." Xe sighs. "Easier to call it all miracles."

For a moment, you're stunned. Gamzee didn't seem like the deep type at _all_\- but you suppose all that really means is that you shouldn't judge people based on appearance.

It takes a few seconds for you to find the words to respond. "Shit, dude. That's rough."

"I'm over it, brother." Xe shrugs nonchalantly, and it makes your heart ache for him. You know exactly how that feels. "What about you? Any dreams you let all up and drift away?"

Part of you doesn't want to talk about it, but after xe had opened up about xir experiences, it feels wrong not to. So, you take a breath and tell xim.

"I used to really like English; public speaking, discursive essays, all that shit that everyone else seems to hate. But I sucked at so many parts of it. Couldn't analyse for shit, couldn't keep my language clean in essays. I scraped by in every exam. I know it's not gonna be enough to get me into a college course, and at this point I'm basically resigned to the fact that I'll end up in a dead end job as a slave to capitalism, probably in relative, if not abject, poverty for the rest of my stupid life."

Gamzee looks you over in silence for several moments. It almost gets to the point of being uncomfortable before; "I dunno, brother, I think you'd still have a chance. If you liked talking to folks about shit and you were swearin' up a storm every essay, you must've cared about what you were motherfuckin' saying. Still ways to do that shit, doesn't have to be all academic like. Can do that kinda shit online now."

"What, like blogging?"

"Hell yeah, brother. You'd make a great motherfucking blogger."

"Huh." You'd honestly never thought of that before. Everyone in your family had gone to college; it had never occurred to you that you could just take a different road altogether. "Yeah, maybe. If I get out of here, I might try that."

"I don't think that's an if, brother. If anyone's making it outta this place, my bets are on you. Hell, you'll probably lead us out."

You snort. "Yeah, right. Feferi's gonna be the one leading us out. She's already taking charge, and she's doing a great job of it." But then you hesitate. "Not that I wouldn't want to lead. Being a leader would be pretty fucking cool."

"Well, you never know what's gonna happen, brother." Xir eyes move ever so slightly, like xe's not looking at you, but something just behind you. "Never motherfuckin' know."

With that mildly ominous sentence, you decide it's probably time to go. You tell Gamzee that you want to go check up on some of the others, and xe nods and tells you xe's going to stick around for a bit. And with that, you part ways.

As you leave, your tablet dings faintly. You pull it out to see what that means, and see a notification sign over _IDs._ Only feeling more confused, you click into it and the notification moves to Gamzee's profile. You click again, finding that there is now a new tab under Gamzee's general information. With one more click, you find exactly what the _ding_ was for.

_Gamzee used to have an interest in Chemistry, but after struggling with the numeracy side of things xe gave up and now refers to things as "miracles". _

You freeze in the middle of the corridor. You literally _just_ finished that conversation, and now it's on your tablet? Are you being watched? Does this mean Gamzee has a note of you sucking at English? You have so many questions.

The only thing you can think to do in that moment is to say, "What the fuck?" out loud, at a high volume, and so that is exactly what you do. Unexpectedly, you get an answer.

"Oh no!" The voice sounds familiar. _Really_ familiar. "We didn't mention that the tablets update!" A small figure dashes around the corner, screeching to halt in front of you. "Hi! I'm the Sister." She holds her hand out. You don't take it.

You aren't entirely sure how you should be reacting. She's definitely nicer than the Brother- she made the voiceover function for Terezi, even if it was deeply hidden- but she's still working with him on some level, and literally looks _exactly_ like him. You decide it's better to err on the side of caution, and continue to regard her with suspicion.

"You're that shitspewing dickwad's sister," you state bluntly.

"Oh… yes, my relation to them is," she hesitates, "unfortunate. But I promise, I mean you all no harm! I can't stop him, no matter how much I want to, but I can make things a little bit easier for you all!" Her voice is earnest, and she does seem like she means what she says- but she also said she won't be helping you out of here.

"I'm going to tell you right now that I don't trust you. Not one fucking bit. But you're better than your brother, so at least you've got that going for you."

She seems disappointed, although not surprised. "That's okay. I know I haven't done much to prove myself trustworthy. Oh! Did Terezi find the voiceover okay? I had to hide it so my brother wouldn't stop me."

"Yeah, Dave figured it out for her." The Sister really does seem concerned, and you see how relieved she is at that news, but you can't help nagging at her anyway. "If you put so much effort in for her, couldn't you have done something for Tavros? He can't even get in his fucking bedroom."

"I tried! I managed to get most of the doors widened enough, but I didn't have time to get to his bedroom, and I'm not allowed to touch anything anymore. He'll be able to see if I do. It's a real predicament…"

You don't have the energy to argue with her, so you decide to take her word for it. Every other door does seem sufficiently sized; if it's a lie, it's not an obvious one. "Okay, sure, I'll assume you're telling the truth there. Now, what in the bitchshitting fuck just happened on my tablet?"

"You spent time with him and gained information, so I recorded it for you!" She tells you, brightening up again. "There's so many people here, I thought you'd all appreciate having a note of everything you learn about people. I'll be adding everyone's birth years and pronouns to their basic IDs as soon as I can get away with it. You can also add information yourself if you'd like!" As she finishes speaking, the Sister glances up to the ceiling, and quickly shrinks back.

She discreetly points just behind you. When you turn, at first you see nothing. Then a tiny movement on the ceiling catches your eye. It's well hidden, but there's a camera and it's pointed straight at you.

"I need to go," she whispers. "I'm not supposed to be speaking to you. Could you give this to Vriska for me?"

You're handed a lollipop. You don't want to give it to Vriska, but technically you think not doing that might constitute as denying an order, so; "Sure, whatever."

The Sister gives you a quick smile and then seems to completely vanish. She moves so quick that you honestly aren't even sure where she went.

You have no idea where Vriska is, but since your tablet tells you it's around noon, you figure the kitchen will be a good place to start. And so, you head towards the kitchen, only half wanting to actually find her there.


	4. Finding Order Through Discord

The trip to the kitchen doesn't take long, and you can't bring yourself to feel disappointed when you're met not with the sight of Vriska, but of Kanaya, arm deep in this morning's dishes.

**Spend time with Kanaya?  
Selection: Yes.**

"Hey, Kanaya," you say. "Want any help with that?"

Kanaya turns and smiles politely. "Oh, hello, Karkat. I could use some more space on the dishrack, if you don't mind drying."

"Sure." You grab a dishtowel off the counter and get to helping. You're so used to drying with Kankri, that you easily zone out and build yourself into a pattern. Since you don't actually know where the dishes go, you just stack them up on the counter, assuming Kanaya will tell you where to put them once everything is cleaned up.

It doesn't take a genius to realise Kanaya is nowhere as comfortable in her position; you see her flinch every time a scrap of food comes near her. You're honestly wondering if she's ever done this before when she starts speaking.

"This morning was rather… intense, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, it was pretty fucking insane. Not that Vriska seemed too bothered over it, though," you answer.

"She did seem rather calm. It almost seemed like she didn't feel it at all- but that's just shock I suppose. It's not the strangest reaction to an injury I've seen; I once watched a documentary about a man who hiked three miles to get back to his car after being attacked by a bear." She pauses for a moment. "I think he also drove himself to the hospital after it."

You don't even know how to begin responding to that. "Wow. Yeah. Alright, cool. I guess Vriska's reaction wasn't that weird after all. That sounds horrifying."

"Yes, the programme was quite disturbing." She pulls out the plug as she speaks. "That's the last of the dishes. Do you need help putting them away?"

"I haven't the faintest shitblistering clue where they go, so yeah, I could use a hand."

Kanaya slips around you and starts moving the stacks of plates into the cupboards. You finish up the drying and help where you can, and it doesn't take long for everything to get dried and put away.

With everything finished up, it occurs to you that Kanaya might leave and it surprises you to find that the thought makes you sad. Even though the two of you haven't actually done much talking, you were enjoying spending time with her, so you scour your brain for a way to get her to stick around a while longer.

"Hey, if you're not already busy, I've told I make pretty great tea- or coffee, or… hot chocolate. I don't know what you drink. I also don't fucking know what we _have_, and none of this is the point, the point is do you want to hang out for a while?"

She covers her mouth, but it does nothing to hide that she's laughing at you. You can't blame her. "Tea would be lovely, Karkat. Splash of milk and one sugar."

"Coming right up." Stop talking. Stop right now. "I'm going to stop talking now."

"Fair. Would you like me to talk at you, or should I also be silent?" She leans against a counter and flips through a few positions with her hands before settling them behind her.

"I don't really care, but I get the feeling this is going to be one of those asshole kettles that scream louder than a toddler on helium, so you might not have much of a choice."

Kanaya nods. "I think I will just join you in silence."

A wise choice as it turns out, since the second you fill the kettle and flip it on the kitchen is filled with more noise than really seems necessary, or even possible. You take a few seconds to find everything, but once it's all laid out, you take care of the tea quickly. While the kettle is annoyingly loud, it's also quick to boil. You're finishing up only a few minutes later, and you set Kanaya's mug down beside her.

"Would you like to sit down somewhere? I think the dining room is empty at the moment."

You nod. "Yeah, sure. Probably the best place to go, since there's pretty much no other fucking decent chairs in this place."

The two of you move through to the dining room, and sit quietly for a few moments. Kanaya blows on her tea before taking a sip, and her eyes light up.

"This is very good," she tells you. "Do you make tea often?"

"Yeah, my brother's a dumb asshole who forgets that he has basic human needs sometimes, so I usually bring him tea every few hours to make sure he doesn't completely disconnect from reality." Thinking of Kankri makes your heart sink again. You hope he's still getting his tea. "He's gotten even worse with it since he started college."

She raises her eyebrows slightly. "What a coincidence. I have a sister who must be around the same age. Do you two get along?"

You have to consider that for a second. "We used to fight a lot when we were kids, but we kinda get on now. We can put up with each other for more than five fucking minutes at least. What about you two?"

"We're very close. I used to idolise her almost an unhealthy amount, but once I grew out of that we ended up finding that we have a lot in common. It's quite convenient that we get along so well; we're likely going to be working together for most of our lives." A gentle frown passes over her face. "I hope she's alright. I know we have enough to worry about for ourselves, but I can't help worry for her too."

"I get that. I'm really fucking worried about my family too." That's not helpful. You should be saying something helpful. "But, hey, they're gonna be fine. And we're going to get out of here soon anyway, it's not like we'll never see them again."

She sniffs softly, and you realise she's almost crying. "You know, if this were a film or a book, that would be exactly the type of thing you'd regret saying later on."

"Good thing we're not in either of those then."

Kanaya gives you a small, but genuine smile. You think you can count that as a victory.

You shift slightly in your chair and feel the lollipop jab into your leg. Shit. The lollipop. Which you were meant to deliver almost an hour ago.

"Are you alright?" Kanaya asked. "You look like you've just remembered something important."

"Yeah, it's just- okay, first things first, I met the 'Sister.'" You bring your hands up to make quotes around the title. "And she insisted she's on our side or whatever, but she's not helping us get out, so to me that's bullshit. More importantly, she asked me to give this lollipop to Vriska as like, an apology that her brother shot her, I guess? Don't see how a lollipop is supposed to help her in the slightest- it's a gunshot wound not a fucking grazed knee- but I figured I probably shouldn't say no."

She nods. "Probably a wise choice. If it helps, I believe Vriska is in her room with Equius and Terezi." She takes a few-second pause before adding; "I could deliver it for you. I was already planning to visit her at some point."

You don't have to think for a second before agreeing and handing over the sweet. "That'd be really fucking helpful, actually, I do not want to talk to her."

Kanaya takes the lollipop and rises from the table. "Would you mind taking the cups back through to the kitchen? I'd hate to leave a mess in here."

"Sure. I guess I'll see you later?"

"I'm sure you will." She gives you a goodbye wave as she heads out to pass along the sweet.

You don't wait around long before going to the kitchen. There's not much point in leaving them lying, so you quickly wash and dry the cups and then return to your room to chill out for a while.

As you enter your room, your tablet _pings_ once again. You sit cross-legged on your bed to check what information Calliope has entered about Kanaya. The spying still makes you more than a little uncomfortable, but there doesn't seem to be much you can do about it.

_Kanaya has an older sister named Porrim, whom she is quite close with. The two were supposed to work together in the future, likely for their whole careers._

As you're reading, more _pings_ start coming through, so once you've covered what you already knew, you jump over to the messaging tab.

\- cuttlefishCuller [CC] began pestering Unnamed Chat. –-

CC: )(ey everyone! I t)(ink we s)(ould all meet up again to )(ave dinner. Rose, Jo)(n, would you two mind cooking again? I can try to kelp again if you'll let me!

GA: I Would Also Be Happy To Assist Again.

TT: I'm perfectly fine with cooking again.

TT: A stir fry seems like it would be our best option with such a large group of people. It's also fairly easy to work around allergies and other dietary restrictions with. Any objections?

GT: as long as theres no peanuts, because i WILL die!

GT: oh im totally down to cook too!

The messages are sending so quickly you don't even want to keep up. This is why you hate group chats; they're just constant talking and no one knows how to shut up. Figuring you'll just skim the messages once the conversation is over, you put the tablet back down.

It doesn't take long for you to realise that there's nothing else to do outside of check the group chat. The Brother really didn't give you much in terms of entertainment. And so, within a couple minutes, you give in and lift your tablet again. As you do so, a slightly different ping sounds, and you find that there's a new bubble on your messages screen; a private message from Feferi.

\- cuttlefishCuller [CC] started pestering carcinoGeneticist [CG] -–

CC: )(ey! Just in case you didn't want to read the w)(ole c)(at log, we're gonna meet up for dinner. If you want to )(elp cook, come to the kitc)(en at 5. If not, we'll see you in the dining room at 5:30!

\- cuttlefishCuller [CC] ceased pestering carcinoGeneticist [CG] –-

You guess she must have sent this message to everyone. She really is turning out to be a great leader… You wish that didn't make you feel so jealous.

It's only a few minutes after five o'clock, but since you don't have anything else to be doing, you just take a couple minutes to freshen up and head for the dining room. You'll be early, but it's already late enough that you'd feel awkward going to the kitchen. Being early seems to be your best option.

When you reach the dining room, you're surprised to find that you're not the first one there. Gamzee and Tavros have beaten you there, sitting in the same seats as they were this morning and chatting amicably.

You greet them as you sit down, also in your previous seat, and are met with greetings in return.

"Don't suppose either of you have come any closer to figuring out what the fuck is going on?" you ask.

Tavros shakes his head. "No, uh, honestly we just, we, uh, were just dicking around all aft- afternoon."

"Yeah, I think everyone was," you sigh. "The only helpful fucking thing I've done is meet the Sister, but it turns out she's totally useless anyway. All she did was tell me to give Vriska a lollipop, for some fucking reason, and insist she's on our side."

The two of them look faintly disappointed for a moment or two. While you can't say you blame them, you also can't help but feel like they shouldn't be the disappointed ones here.

"Well," Tavros starts, "at least we know she uh, exists."

"That cannot be where the fucking bar is, Tavros." You hesitate for a second, deciding you probably should mention everything. "She did apologise for your door though," you add, "said she ran out of time."

"That's- uh… nice of her at- at least. Even if it was, eh, was kinda the wor- the worst one to miss."

"It's not like it really fucking matters though. She can do whatever she wants to improve this place, she's still letting us get fucking kidnapped and held hostage, so she's a piece of shit as far as I'm concerned."

Gamzee sits back in xir seat, as calm as ever. "Ain't all that big of a motherfuckin' deal, brother. We'll be getting out in no time without her help anyways-nothing to get yourself all worked up about."

You admire xir confidence-but honestly, you just aren't so sure if xe's right anymore. The moment is over before you can think yourself into a hole, crashing to an end like the door crashes into the wall, thanks to Vriska kicking it open.

"Hey nerds, what are you talking about?" She marches in, un-injured arm linked with Terezi's. Equius isn't far behind.

"How this whole situation is shit and the Sister is useless," you answer.

To your surprise, she drops Terezi's arm and slams her fist down on the table with unexpected ferocity. "You shut your goddamn mouth! She sent me a lollipop."

It takes you a moment to process that, and in the brief gap she sits down across from you. When you're able to speak, the only thing you can think to say is "That _cannot_ be where the fucking bar is!"

"She gave me a lollipop, Karkat. Did you get a lollipop today?" She pauses and smirks. "Well. You did get mine. And you couldn't even deliver it, so who's really the useless one here?"

"Oh, fuck off, Vriska, Kanaya offered! And anyway, the point is that we're fucking trapped in here, and she's not going to help us. You got _shot_ this morning, you'd think out of everyone you'd care about this bullshit."

As you rant, the room starts to fill up more. Dave, Sollux and Jade all arrive and take their seats just when you're finishing and Vriska elects not to respond past a dirty look, damning you all to silence.

It only takes a few seconds for Dave to break it.

"Are we deadass just going to sit here in this crushing silence? This silence has reduced me to a pancake. A fucking pancake. Do y'all want me to be a pancake? Gonna eat me for breakfast? Gonna commit a vore?"

"Do you ever fucking stop talking?" you snap. "And if you're that desperate for conversation then propose a topic, you whining, pungent dumbfuck."

Dave nods along as you speak, before replying in his stupid, smug voice, "Yep, okay. Good, valid point. One problem; no."

"You think you're so fucking funny, don't you?"

"Nah, I think I'm hilarious." A hint of a smirk passes over his face.

"If I roll my eyes at your dumb-fuckery any harder, they're gonna fall out of my fucking head and roll right across this shitty little table, all the way over to you, and just keep fucking rolling forever, until the heat death of the fucking universe."

Vriska snorts, and just as you turn to spew some bullshit about how exhausted with her shit you are, Rose appears in the doorway with the first of the plates. Probably for the best that you got cut off, really. You were just going to make a fool of yourself.

The meal returns you all to silence, aside from "thank you"s as the plates are first handed out. How such a loud group can be so quiet is beyond you-although, you're also guilty of it, so you guess it isn't _really_ your place to judge. Besides, it'll probably get better as you all warm up to each other.

Eventually, Feferi sets her cutlery down and breaks the silence.

"So, did anyone find out any-fin useful today? I didn't get much done my-shell-f, but I did have a nice time getting to know people!"

At her words, Eridan glares daggers slightly past you at Sollux. You flick your eyes over to catch buzzes reaction just in time to see buzz wink. Eridan looks disgusted, and you have to hold back a laugh.

After a few moments of no one saying anything, you figure you should offer up what little information you have. "Not that it actually fucking helped- like, at all, actually- but I ran into the Sister. All she did was give me a lollipop for Vriska and say she can't-or just fucking won't-help us."

Feferi's face had lit up as you started, but quickly drops before you're done. Her disappointment is clear, but she puts on a brave face nevertheless. "Oh… Well, at least we know, I suppose. We'll just have to work harder to get ourselves out!" She pushes her hair back behind her shoulders and smiles. "Did everyone at least have an okay day?"

"Aside from the fact that we are still being held captive in an unknown location," Rose starts, "it could have been worse. The company is nice, at least."

"Talking is really the only thing to do in this shitscape," Dave adds on.

"I'm really glad you're all making fronds! We're going to need to work together here. We can work on getting out tomorrow." She smiles to everyone around the table. You let yourself believe in her confidence for now- no matter how much it concerns you that no progress is being made.

Taking a glance around the table, you think it's safe to say the sentiment is shared. No one looks optimistic, not even Feferi herself. You can't help but feel partially to blame; you didn't even try to get out today. Not that it seems like anyone else _did_, but it gnaws at your conscience regardless.

As the last people finish up, Rose and Kanaya start collecting up plates, quickly being joined by Nepeta who seems eager to get out of the room. Or maybe purr's just hyper.

Equius and Vriska leave together without a spoken word. Specifically, a _spoken_ word, because Vriska does mouth "kill me" to you. You have to assume the only reason she chose you is because the only people who seem to like her are Kanaya, Terezi and John-one of whom is busy, the second of whom is blind, and the third of whom currently has three spoons on his face, and you really aren't sure how, when, or why he did this. You mouth back "then perish" and watch disgust spread over her face.

People filter out of the room until there are very few left. You're left sitting with Feferi, Eridan and Sollux, which strikes you as a perfect recipe for disaster until Eridan quietly suggests to Feferi that the two of them go. He shoots Sollux a final glare as they go, making it blatantly clear that he is not welcome.

With now just the two of you left in the room, Sollux turns to you and rolls his eyes. "God, he is such an asshole. If I have to put up with him for much longer, I think I'm gonna go nuts."

"He does seem like a grade A asshole, but we have to be fair here. So do you. And so do I. And so do a lot of people in here, actually."

"You aren't wrong, but he is definitely the worst of us." Sollux puts extra emphasis on each lisping word, and you can't help but feel curious.

**Spend time with Sollux?  
Selection: Yes.**

You mentally prepare yourself for some dumbass drama, but take the bait. "Why's he so bad?"

His mis-matched eyes roll again. "Have you tried to actually speak to him yet? He's _so_ full of shit, and he decided he hated me pretty much immediately. I didn't even do anything!" He pauses, a smirk appearing. "Well… I guess I did _now_, but not until after he decided he hated me."

"I feel like I'm going to really fucking regret asking this, but here we go. What did you do?"

"Nothing awful, I just flirt with FF right in front of him all the time. It's hilarious, he's so oblivious about her not giving a shit about him and he gets _so_ mad over her even paying attention to me-" He stops, finally noticing the look you've been giving him. "Okay, I understand how bad that sounds. I do actually like her; I just wouldn't have done anything about it if he weren't such a dick."

"Still kinda an asshole move but," you shrug, "it's not really any of my fucking business, I guess."

"You know what, KK? I think you're just as much of an asshole as I am; you just pull it off better."

"How the flabbergasting fuck does one "pull off" being an asshole?" you question.

He looks you over for a moment before he answers. "You're short. So it's just kinda…" he gestures like he's searching for the right word. You know exactly what word it's going to be, so you cut him off before he can say it.

"If you say cute, I will go fucking feral on your ass."

"Sounds gay. I'm in."

A couple of seconds pass before you can't restrain yourself and burst out laughing. While you're trying to recover, he adds;

"Hey, while we're on the topic…"

Pre-empting him again, you answer before he's done. "I'm bi."

His lips quirk up in a half-smile. "Thought so. Same."

"Yeah, I got that from the cuffed jeans and the everything else about you."

Sollux snorts. "Fair."

The pair of you continue chatting for what feels like only a few minutes, but when you find yourself yawning and glance at the time on your handbook, it turns out to have been several hours.

"Hey, is it just me, or is there no fucking way that it's almost 10 o'clock?"

"It's _what?_" is Sollux's answer.

You turn your handbook to him. "Exactly. How the fuck was that four hours? It feels like we just got here."

"I have no idea; my sense of time has never worked." He stretches then yawns. "I suppose we should be heading to bed then?"

"Yeah, I'm weirdly tired already. Usually I'd be up for hours yet, but there's something about this place that's just… draining. My life is but a smoothie and this place is slurping it out of me like a fucking straw."

You get another laugh with that as the two of you head through to the hall. Just as you're about to bid him goodnight and enter your room, you turn to see him fidgeting uncomfortably.

"Hey, you…" He hesitates. "You don't think anyone would actually take the bait with that murder thing, right?"

"No, I don't. I mean, why would we?" Your own confidence almost surprises you. It's been in the back of your mind all day, but after spending time with these people… You can't believe that anyone is going to die.

He nods a little. "Right. Of course." He goes to open his door then, almost as an afterthought, turns back to you. "Night."

"Goodnight."

He smiles faintly before going into his room without another word. For a moment you hang around, wondering if you should have asked why he was so worried all of a sudden, but you soon decide there's nothing to be done about it now and do the same.

Your room is just as eerie and uncomfortably empty as it was when you left. You don't want to look at it for longer than you have to, so you rush through getting ready for bed. Within half an hour you're curled up under the duvet, fast asleep.


	5. Through Rose-Tinted Glasses

**It's time to be the other guy.  
Selection: Rose.**

_You are now Rose._

Last night, you woke up to find yourself captured and being held in a building alongside fifteen strangers. According to your captor, your family and the rest of the outside world believes you all to be dead, and you will only be released if you can get away with murder. Understandably, you are fairly concerned about this. Several of the people you are trapped with have turned out to be children of rather affluent members of society, or influential themselves, and since you have no intention of committing murder, you're currently holding onto hope that someone is looking for at least one of them. To top it all off, you had an awful nightmare the previous night that involved running from _something_ and trying to save _someon_e. Every time you try to think back to the details, your head starts hurting.

But we should really be getting back to the present moment, shouldn't we?

You have just woken up to your first morning in captivity, to an unpleasant video message from your kidnapper. You were only awake for a few hours yesterday, but you are fairly convinced that you have been in the building for longer than you know, so it seems fair to count that as your first day. For now, your only plans for the day are to check for any easy escape routes, and hopefully connect with those you have been kidnapped with. Making friends seems wise for now; you'll be less likely to get hurt.

The drawers in your assigned room are filled with your own clothes and makeup, so you get ready fairly easily. Before heading out, you decide to check the chat function on your provided tablet; Feferi promised a group chat after all. You find that she did in fact make it not long after you tried to go to bed, and there have already been messages sent.

\- cuttlefishCuller [CC] opened a group chat with apocalypseArisen [AA], adiosToreador , twinArmageddons [TA], carcinoGeneticist [CG], arsenicCatnip [AC], grimAuxilatrix [GA], gallowsCalibrator [GC], arachnidsGrip [AG], centaursTesticle [CT], terminallyCapricious [TC], caligulasAquarium [CA], ghostyTrickster [GT], tentacleTherapist [TT], turntechGodshead [TG], and gardenGnostic [GG]. -

CC: )(i guys! It's Feferi if you didn't figure t)(at out already. Sorry I made this so late at nig)(t, but I couldn't get to sleep and figure I mig)(t as well do somet)(ing useful!

CC: Like I said w)(en I first mentioned t)(at I was going to make t)(is, can you all re-fintroduce yourselves? T)(ese nicknames are )(ard to guess 38(

TA: 2ure. thii2 ii2 2ollux.

GA: This Is Kanaya.

TG: im dave and gc is terezi

AA: this is aradia

AC: :33 nya-peta here!

AG: Vriska.

GT: hey its john!

John's message was sent several hours ago, so you assume all those who haven't responded yet were already asleep-or trying to be- when the chat was created. You quickly type up your own response, watching another come through just as you hit send.

CG: HEY, THIS IS KARKAT.

TT: This is Rose.

CT: D - This is Equius

GG: hey! its jade

AC: hEY,,,, tHIS IS TAVROS,, aND TC IS GAMZEE,,,

CA: youre all so uncreativve

TA: fuck off ampora

GA: Did Anyone Else Notice That All Of Our Usernames Feature The Same Four Letters?

GA: Just Wondering If It Might Be Significant.

TG: GATG

TG: could spell act or cat

TG: or tag

TG: but then youre missing out the g or the c

TG: cant just abandon that little dude

TG: what kinda shitty people would we be if we wrenched that poor lil letter from its buddies

TG: thatd make us a bunch of fucking assholes

CG: YOU LITERALLY COULD'VE JUST SAID NO.

TG: now you see, that would have been the easy thing to do

TG: so why the fuck would i ever want to do it

CC: If we don't mind moving along from the naming coincidences, I was )(oping we could all )(ave breakfast toget)(er!

Her suggestion makes you pause. You honestly hadn't considered eating yet-you were completely prepared to just start finding a way out. The idea is a good one though, and as you consider yourself a fairly decent cook, you are content step up to the plate.

CC: Of course, I don't believe that anyone will actually take the bait, but sticking together should keep us all extra safe!

TT: That seems like a good plan. However, the kitchen is definitely not big enough to hold all of us.

TT: It would probably be wise to divide into two groups; one to cook, and one to wait.

TG: yeah seems fair theres a whole shit ton of us

TG: too many cooks spoil the broth and all that

TT: That saying was not intended to be taken literally, but I suppose it does work in this context.

TT: Anyway, I'm happy to be one of the cooks.

GT: i can help!

CC: I never got the c)(ance to learn )(ow to cook, but I'd be )(appy to learn if you don't mind teac)(ing me!

GA: I Would Also Appreciate The Chance To Learn.

TT: With so many of us, having you two will likely be very helpful. If anyone else wants to learn, they're welcome to join us.

TT: To everyone wanting to help cook; we'll meet in the kitchen in 15 minutes.

AC: :33 ill be there too!

TG: fuck yes cant wait for food

GG: i guess the rest of us can meet up in the dining room and just wait for them!

As you're already dressed and ready, you decide to get to the kitchen early.

Walking through the halls alone puts you on edge. A few of the lights are faulty and flicker eerily, and the walls are too plain for comfort. It almost reminds you of your old home, before the move, before everything settled- but even then, the house at least felt inhabitable. This building is cold, unwelcoming. Reaching the kitchen is a comfort.

While waiting for others to join you, you realise now is the best time to be thinking of possible meals to be making-and subsequently that you forgot to ask a rather crucial question.

TT: I forgot to ask if anyone has any dietary restrictions we need to be aware of.

CT: D - Im vegetarian

GT: if i eat a peanut i could realistically die!

You smile to yourself at John's delightful delivery of a deeply important fact, and run through the best options. French Toast is the first easy recipe to come to mind, and you can't imagine even the most inexperienced cooks messing that up beyond saving, so you begin to look out the ingredients while you wait.

Before long, you're joined by John, a clear grin plastered over his face. "Hiya Rose! Decided what we're making already?"

You nod. "French toast seems like the wisest option; quick and easy to make, widely liked, and doesn't go against any dietary restrictions I know of."

"Eggy bread!" John cheers, completely ignoring how your face drops. "I heard a lot of people moving about behind their doors; I think everyone will be here soon."

He is soon proved right, as the room steadily fills up. You decide that you've hit max capacity when there are nine people in the room, including yourself and John; Aradia, Sollux, Nepeta, Kanaya, Equius, Eridan and Feferi having joined you. With so many people a quiet chatter has begun to build up, so you clear your throat before speaking.

"If no one has any objection, I've decided French toast will be the easiest thing for us to make. It won't take too long, and it's simple enough that we can easily teach everyone."

There's no disagreement, and so you and John start dividing people up into a group each. You end up taking Sollux, Kanaya, Eridan, and Feferi, and are pleasantly surprised with how quickly most of them catch on-although you have a sneaking suspicion Sollux already knew what he was doing. And by a sneaking suspicion, you mean you're completely certain, but when you questioned him, he vehemently denied it. Considering the other three are genuine beginners, they do far better than you could have expected, with very few pieces ending up burned.

Getting the plates through to the dining room goes a little less smoothly, but nothing gets dropped and every plate is delivered safely. You and the rest of your group are all thanked as you sit down to dig in to your meal. Once they have finished their meal, Jade starts to fill you all in on the conversation you had missed; letting you know that they all exchanged pronouns and Hogwarts houses. You provide your own-she and Slytherin-and do your best not to come off as a complete geek as the conversation tips back to Harry Potter.

Far too soon, however, the meal is brought to its abrupt end as the TV screen suspended on the wall bursts to life. Caliborn starts screeching on about how you're all to get back to the hall where this nightmare began and yadda yadda… You tune him out as soon as he starts, really, choosing to start collecting up plates and cups instead. Karkat and John help you take them all back through to the kitchen as the group moves through.

This narrator will not repeat the gunshot scene, as that just feels unnecessarily repetitive, wouldn't you agree? Suffice to say, it is not a fun time, and you walk out of it feeling rather shaken up. Feferi makes a good point though; he did say only one bullet will be fired. You should be safe for now.

Mostly out of convenience and proximity, you end up forming a group with John and Jade. Without much of an idea what you can do, you decide to look through each of your rooms together to see if you can find any difference other than clothing. John's room is up first.

"Do you guys think the whole killing game thing is for real?" he asks as the three of you look around. "It just sounds like a movie plot, or something out of a really bad Japanese visual novel or video game."

"It certainly doesn't feel like it _should_ be real," is the best you can offer, "but after what just happened to Vriska, I don't think we can really deny it anymore."

"I don't think it matters, really!" Jade interjects. "The best things about movies and games is that everything works out by the end, no matter how bad it gets. I think we'll all find our way out of this just fine!" Her optimism and bright smile manage to put a small smile on your own face.

John seems much more convinced than you are, his grin seeming to take up half his face. "Yeah! Movies always end up alright, why should life be any different?" He starts tipping his drawers out to search for anything other than clothes. "So, who do you think our protagonist would be?"

"Feferi would be the most likely candidate," you reply absentmindedly. "She's been doing a splendid job of keeping us all organised, and she's the one making sure we aren't just sitting around."

Jade looks up from where they've positioned themself on the floor. "Maybe! But a story like this seems like it'd have an unexpected hero. Someone emerging from the shadows in our hour of need, you know?"

"Like someone breaking in to save us?" John turns to ask, leaving you alone in clearing away the wholly uninteresting contents of the drawers.

"I was thinking more like you!" they smile. "Or someone like you, at least."

"He's certainly got the look down," you can't help but comment.

He tilts his head. "What does that mean?"

"Nothing, it's just that you look like almost every movie protagonist ever." He still looks confused, so you continue. "Conventionally attractive white male."

"Oh. Yeah, that's fair."

With John's room having been turned upside down, you all move through to your room. The conversation drops as you do, and you feel a sense of defeat set in as you fail to find a single difference between the rooms. Moving through to Jade's room, the silence begins to feel deafening. Thankfully, they break it.

"How do you think your families are feeling?" they ask. "With the whole… faked deaths thing."

John's face drops. "It's probably killing them… My family's really close knit. Losing a fish make my dad cry for a week once, I can't even imagine how upset he must be."

"I can't imagine my sister's taking it too well either. But my mother…" You sigh. "I'd be surprised if she even noticed yet."

Jade gives you a sympathetic look. "There aren't many people left to miss me, honestly. Just my brother and our dog!"

"Did your parents pass away?" you ask as gently as you can.

They shrug. "They dropped us off at our grandfather's when I was a baby and didn't come back. He didn't really know what he was doing with us, but he tried…" Sadness crosses their face. "He passed away last year."

You start to offer your condolences, as does John, but they shake their head and put their bright smile back on. "It's a shame really; I'd bet anything he'd have found us by now."

By now, the original mission has been entirely forgotten. The three of you end up sitting on Jade's bed together, discussing family members and eventually pets. You're delighted to find that Jade's dog is just as odd as your cat was and that the two completely believe every weird thing you tell them about Jaspers. It is immediately apparent that John is the only one of you with a vaguely normal upbringing, yet you still find a fair amount in common with him, as well as Jade; all three of you were raised by a single guardian, and all had peculiar pets-while a cat and a dog aren't the most unusual, Becquerel and Jaspers' behaviours certainly are, and John just had a whole ass salamander.

After a few hours has come and gone, you decide it's about time to move along and maybe actually get something done. As fun as sitting with John and Jade is, staying in the one place all day would feel wrong.

"Sorry to leave you," you say, pulling yourself up from the bed, "but I'm going to take another look around. I need to stretch my legs."

You exchange smiles and waves and goodbyes with your companions, and then go on your way. You hadn't left with much of a plan, but this turns out to not matter all that much since you quite literally bump into Dave as soon as you turn a corner.

He doesn't smile-you've noticed that he never does-but he does give you a friendly nod. "Hey, Rose. What's crackalackin'?"

"Well, currently I'm coping with the fact that someone just said "crackalacking" to me in this century," you respond with a dry smile.

"C'mon, man. Don't stop my funky flow."

"How did you manage to make it worse?"

"These answers aren't very cash-money of you."

Despite your best efforts, that one gets to you, making your cheeks split into a smile. "You're ridiculous," you inform him.

"Thank you."

"Where are you off to? I thought you were with Terezi." You figure you may end up in this conversation for a while, so you lean against the wall slightly.

"Yeah, I was. She wanted to hang with Vriska for a bit though, and tbh? Not a fan. So, I just made sure she got there alright then bounced like a brick off a trampoline. Wait, shit, wouldn't that just break the trampoline? Fuck. I broke my metaphorical trampoline. That's the fifth one this week." You finally cave and give him the laugh he's fishing for so he can move on. "What about you? Weren't you with some peeps too?"

You nod. "John, Jade and I were together. We were just sitting around though, I got restless."

"And now we're just two weary travellers going along the same road. We've lost our companions and now we walk alone. It's a lonely road, but it's the only one we've ever known."

"Are you… trying to quote Green Day?"

"Maybe? I don't know, Rose, there's too many bops swimming about in my brain, I can't keep track of all that noise. They're just wriggling about like little fish with no food, so they just gotta eat each other instead and then they get all mixed up together and the lyrics and the melodies are just swapping about until I forget who made anything." Dave stops for a moment. "This metaphor is bad, actually." Without any warning, he drops down to the floor and sits against the wall. "Standing is exhausting."

"It shouldn't be." You join him on the ground. "Changing the subject, were you and Terezi actually doing anything, or were you just spending time together?"

"We were just banging." He freezes. "Hanging. Autocorrect."

"This… This is a verbal conversation."

"Which means you have no proof that I fucked up and my reputation of being a cool dude stays perfectly intact." The cautious blankness is still present on his face, but you can sense an underlying panic, so you decide to let it go.

"Well, your Freudian slip aside, my group were actually trying to find clues to… anything, really. We did not succeed."

"Aw, man, that sucks. Would've been so sick if y'all had cracked the code and broken us out on the first day." Dave bites his lip, and you can only imagine what elaborate metaphor he must be holding back.

"It would have been rather great," you agree, "but unfortunately it seems whoever put us here has made sure we can't escape quite that easily."

"Whoever?" He tilts his head. "Wouldn't that just be the short dude?"

"I highly doubt he's actually the one in charge. It seems massively unlikely he's smart enough for that. No-I think there's someone else who's really pulling the strings."

Dave falls silent. When you glance over, you see his brow is furrowed. "Don't like that much," he says eventually.

"Neither do I… This has gotten heavy. Perhaps we should change the subject."

"Alright, sure. What kinda new shit you wanna hop into? We got a whole array of topic pools to dive right the fuck into. Just gotta pick one and we can dive on in, swim around in that topic, maybe-"

"I get the pool metaphor, 'cool guy'. Do you have any actual conversation ideas, or is your head just filled with extravagant metaphors and tangents?"

"It's like ninety percent extravagant metaphors an' tangents."

"I can't say I'm surprised." You think for a moment before asking, "What do you like to do? Hobby wise."

He doesn't answer for a few seconds. You're about to ask if he heard you when he finally says, "I rap a lot."

"Anything else?" While rapping is an admirable hobby, you can't see yourself bonding with him over it considering you've never so much as willingly listened to a rap song in your life.

There's an even longer pause. "I play video games sometimes?"

"I get the feeling you aren't used to talking about yourself."

"Not on any genuine level, no. Can't say I'm a fan of it." His shoulders have tensed up and he's looking profoundly uncomfortable, so you drop it as gently as you can.

"That's fine. Sharing with strangers isn't typically a favourite pastime of mine either. Would you rather just sit in silence for a while? Or would you be more comfortable if I left you alone?"

"Silence would be nice. Just a good ol' not-talking sesh. That would absolutely be the shit right now." His voice has sped up, and it was already fairly fast to begin with.

You press your shoulder against his and drop your volume. "You okay?"

Dave nods far too many times. "Yeah, yeah, of course. I'm doing so fucking fantastic right now, I am currently chill as all hell.

"Dave, I'm going to need you to be honest with me right now."

"Okay, maybe there's a slight chance that I'm panicking or something lame like that, but psh, it's not a big deal. It's totally whatever, I'll be over it in like a minute."

"Would physical contact make things better or worse?" You're suddenly quite grateful for all the time you spent researching panic attacks when you were younger.

The question seems to stump him. "I- uh. I don't know. No one's ever… offered, so I don't really…"

"Do you want to try it, or should I back off?"

"Fuck, I don't… It might help, I guess? Can't really make it any fucking worse." He lets out a nervous laugh.

"If you want me to let go, just say so. Okay?" Once he gives you a nod, you cautiously put an arm around him. He almost melts into your side, and you find yourself getting really angry at whoever raised him-you know touch deprivation when you see it. You start running him through breathing exercises until you feel his heartrate calm and steady itself. Dave drops his head onto your shoulder and the two of you just sit in silence for a few minutes until he's ready to speak again.

"Bleh," he says when he eventually pulls away. "Emotions. Ew. Let's pretend that never happened."

"If that's what you want. Could you tell me what triggered it though? I wouldn't want to upset you again."

He goes quiet again. You start to retract the question, but he interrupts with the answer. "I think I just kinda realised that… we might die in here? And I just… barely fucking know who I am and I'd really rather not die like this. Like there's only two things I do with my time and both of them are dumb and not things I ever would've chosen to start myself, so what the fuck am I doing at all, y'know?"

You nod. "I've felt like that at times. It's scary to grow up, but it's scarier to be told you might not. Don't rile yourself up, though. I have complete confidence that we'll get out of this alive."

A moment passes before he gives you a half-smile. Well… more of a half-half-smile. It is Dave, after all. "Thanks, Rosie."

_Rosie-_

Your hand moves to your head before you register the pain.

"Hey, you alright?" Dave sounds alarmed, but also hazy. What were you thinking about? You've already forgotten.

"Yes, I'm… fine. I just had a sudden headache is all. Nothing to worry about." You shake the last of it away. That was odd and probably not good, but you push it to the back of your mind. You can worry about it when you're alone. For now, you need a conversation topic. "You said you enjoyed rapping?"

Dave nods and is more than happy to give an extended example. For about an hour you sit and listen to him, occasionally jumping in when a word is too tricky for him to rhyme. You have more fun than you could have ever expected.

All good things must come to an end, however. You hear your tablet pinging in your pocket and take it out to find a message in the group chat, as well as an exclamation mark over the IDs, which you dismiss as another problem for Future Rose.

"Hold on, I should probably be a part of this conversation."

Dave shuts up while you open up the message. After a moment he brings out his own tablet.

\- cuttlefishCuller [CC] began pestering Unnamed Chat. –-

CC: )(ey everyone! I t)(ink we s)(ould all meet up again to )(ave dinner. Rose, Jo)(n, would you two mind cooking again? I can try to kelp again if you'll let me!

GA: I Would Also Be Happy To Assist Again.

TT: I'm perfectly fine with cooking again.

TT: A stir fry seems like it would be our best option with such a large group of people. It's also fairly easy to work around allergies and other dietary restrictions with. Any objections?

GT: as long as theres no peanuts, because i WILL die!

GT: oh im totally down to cook too!

TT: Shall we say five o'clock in the kitchen for those planning to cook? It should take just over half an hour.

CC: Sounds perfect!

GA: I Look Forward To Helping Cut Things Into Smaller Things.

There are a few messages after that, all just further agreements.

"It's almost five already," you say, getting up, "I should probably go. Everyone showed up quite promptly this morning and I'd hate to be late."

He nods. "Valid. You have fun with your kitchen witchery."

"… Cooking."

"Kitchen witchery."

You briefly consider inquiring further on this, but it just doesn't feel worth it-especially not when he adds the finger guns.

"Alright, leaving now. Goodbye, 'cool guy.'" You add air quotes for emphasis which predictably does not faze Dave in the slightest, and head on your way. As you go, it occurs to you that somehow Dave's cool guy schtick manages to loop back around into making him a pretty cool guy after all.

The group from this morning, minus Sollux and Equius, reassembles as you work on getting the ingredients laid out. When it becomes clear they just aren't coming, you begin assigning jobs.

"I'm going to put the noodles on to boil. Eridan, keep an eye on them." You do not trust him with a knife. "John, can you work with Nepeta and Aradia to get the chilies, green onion and garlic chopped?"

"Yeah, sure!" He takes them to one side of the kitchen and gets to work.

"Kanaya, Feferi, we'll deal with the rest of the vegetables."

Once you've got the noodles started for Eridan, you move around to help the girls with chopping. They're very pleasant to work with, and you're delighted to find that Kanaya has a natural skill with getting perfect, thin slices. Feferi isn't as quick to learn, but she makes up for it in effort.

The two groups finish just about the same time, and you move on to getting the ingredients together. It's not a complicated recipe, so really it was almost impossible for you to have messed this up, but everyone looks very proud by the end of it. You don't mention how simple it was-it'd be a shame to ruin anyone's good mood.

However, now you are left with the issue of transporting sixteen meals with only seven people. Carrying more than two plates leaves a high risk of something being dropped, and there are no trays to help lessen that risk. Making two trips would be an irritation, but it seems like the safest option-

"There aren't enough of us to take two plates each again," Kanaya points out, "so we'd be best moving the food and the plates separately, wouldn't we?"

Ah. Or that. "Yes, that would make sense.

You divide the plates into a few piles, while Nepeta takes the food itself and John and Feferi get glasses and juice. It turns out to be a lot more efficient than the morning's attempt.

The meal passes quickly and without incident. As it draws to a close, Feferi clears her throat and addresses everyone.

"So, did anyone find out any-fin useful today? I didn't get much done my-shell-f, but I did have a nice time getting to know people!"

Seconds pass without an answer. Feferi looks like she's losing hope by the time Karkat finally says;

"Not that it actually fucking helped- like, at all, actually- but I ran into the Sister. All she did was give me a lollipop for Vriska and say she can't-or just fucking won't-help us."

"Oh… Well, at least we know, I suppose. We'll just have to work harder to get ourselves out! Did everyone at least have an okay day?" Her face looks crestfallen

"Aside from the fact that we are still being held captive in an unknown location, it could have been worse. The company is nice, at least," you say.

"Talking is really the only thing to do in this shitscape," Dave adds.

She brightens up again, but her smile looks forced. "I'm really glad you're all making fronds! We're going to need to work together here. We can work on getting out tomorrow."

Disappointment is strewn across your companions faces, but you can't help but feel this was still a win: the Brother wants you all to kill each other, so no matter how little progress you feel like you're making, making it through the day means you're winning.

You start collecting up plates, assisted by Kanaya and Nepeta, when people start leaving. Nepeta runs off as soon as she's moved everything through to the kitchen. When you glance back at her, you see her barrelling right into Aradia and pulling her off somewhere. Kanaya, however, stays to help you do the dishes. You notice the ones from the morning have already been taken care of and smile in relief; cleaning thirty-two plates and glasses isn't exactly your idea of a good time.

It seems rude to leave as soon as they're done, so you don't abscond right away. Instead, you slouch against a counter and let yourself take a deeper breath than you have since you got here.

"How did you get on today?" you ask her.

"I spent some time with Tavros and Karkat. I didn't get much done in the first instance, but he seems sweet. Karkat helped with the dishes and made tea."

"So that's where the dishes went. Thank you for that, they had entirely slipped my mind."

"It was no trouble, really. You were nice enough to teach us all, it was the least I could do." She joins you against the counter and smiles down at you.

"Well, the teaching is necessarily out of the kindness of my heart," you confess. "If more of us can cook, I don't have to do as much work. Two birds, one stone."

Kanaya laughs. "Very wise. Do you have to cook much at home?"

You nod. "My sibling would probably burn the house down if they tried, and I don't remember my mother even stepping foot in our kitchen. I wouldn't be surprised if she though it was just for decoration."

You get another laugh for that. "No one in my family has much time for cooking," she tells you. "We're always too busy, so I never got a chance to learn."

"I'm glad to have been of assistance." You take a fake bow. "You are picking it up very well, might I add."

"Thank you. I've always been a fast learner, so I'm glad that extends to cookery."

"You should take a course when we get out. It would teach you more than I can." You feel a yawn building in the back of your throat, but force it back down. Talking to Kanaya is going well, and you don't want her thinking you're bored.

"I think I will." She gives you a concerned look. "Are you alright? You look exhausted."

"Yes, I'm-" You can't hold the yawn back this time. "Just oddly tired," you finish.

"Are you planning to go to bed soon? If not, I must recommend you do. It's been a long day for all of us."

"I suppose it has," you reply, straightening yourself up again. "I might head through now, actually. The more I think about it, the more tired I feel."

"I'm going to walk with you, if you don't mind. I should be getting some rest too." She yawns daintily and adjusts her skirt.

"Of course not," you answer, "it would be a shame to cut this short."

For the short walk along the halls, the two of you continue to chat amicably, but the walk is short and your goodbyes are shorter. You wish you could have spent more time with her, but your exhaustion is growing by the second and you have to get to bed.

It's not until you're changed and lying down that you realise you still haven't checked the notification on your tablet. Since stupid past you didn't deal with it, it's current you's problem. You drag yourself up to find that information has been added in a subsection of certain people's IDs. Kanaya's is the first you check.

_She has a busy homelife, which contributed to her not having a chance to learn how to cook. However, she has a genuine interest in it and is taking advantage of this opportunity to learn._

That's… odd. That conversation ended only a few minutes ago. You move on to John, Dave and, finally, Jade.

_John has a close-knit, deeply loving family, and a rather normal homelife._

_Dave does not enjoy talking about himself, but he does enjoy rapping, and seems to have decent skill in it._

_Jade lives with her brother and their dog, and they were raised by their grandfather. They never knew their parents, but love what family they do have._

The addition of these details confirms that you're being constantly monitored, but you were already fairly sure about that. It's more concerning that they're apparently listening to everything.

But, once again, you decide this is future Rose's problem. Current Rose is very tired and would like to go to sleep now. And go to sleep you do-after checking once last time that your door is securely locked.


	6. Lock Down!

You awake with a groan to the unwelcome sound of Caliborn's announcement. Your pillow goes flying at it once again, as you drag yourself out of bed to face another day of this bullshit. There is no part of you that wants to get up right now; you had many dreams last night, all of them weird and all of them already half-forgotten, leaving only that odd sense of recollection bad dreams tend to leave lingering. Unfortunately for you, you have standards for yourself that include not isolating yourself in group kidnapping scenarios.

Just to delay the inevitable as much as you can though, you decide to check the group chat before actually getting up.

\- cuttlefishCuller [CC] began pestering Unnamed Group Chat –

CC: )(ey! Are we going by t)(e same pattern today? 38D

TT: I think that would be reasonable, yes.

CC: W)(en s)(ould we meet up this time?

TT: I want to shower before breakfast, so we could meet in the kitchen in about half an hour? And people who aren't cooking can show up a little later.

CC: Good plan 38)

TT: Don't bother answering to agree with the plan, that just causes message flood. Only say something if there's a problem. I don't feel like reading 14 more agreements.

There are no more messages, so you assume there were no problems.

You decide that you're also going to take a shower before heading along to the dining room. The room still feels unfamiliar and uncomfortable so you shower as quickly as you can. Afterwards, you find that there is no hairdryer, so you just towel dry your hair as best you can and finish getting ready.

The dining room is filled with mostly the same group as yesterday, with the addition of Aradia and Sollux. Vriska isn't there when you arrive, but you don't even get fully through the door before she pushes past you. You're too tired to call her out on it, so you just glare and sit down. You haven't been sitting for more than a few seconds before Dave starts talking: this day just isn't going to let you chill for a minute, is it?

"I'm just gonna assume we're headed towards another massive brick wall of silence over here, based on the fact that no one's said shit yet. Howsabout instead of driving directly into the fucking wall like an online sad story from 2006, we do some more ice-breakers?"

Most people around the group, yourself included, agree to this (Vriska does not and groans out some shit about you all being childish idiots, but no one cares enough to listen) and eyes turn to Jade for a prompt.

"Hm, let me think…" They tap their cheek for a few moments. "Oh! What's the strangest thing you've ever done on autopilot? For me, it's probably the time that I got the leash and treats and everything all ready to take my dog for a walk and made it halfway to the park without him."

Their story exerts a few laughs and snorts as Jade turns and motions to Aradia that it's her turn.

Her brows furrow in thought for a second before she seemingly settles on something. "I jumped onto a moving car a few months ago."

Her statement is-of course- met with a whole lot of confusion. After letting it sink in, you finally say;

"Do I fucking dare I ask for more details?"

"It was going to hit me, so I jumped." That clears absolutely nothing up. You think you might be more confused now, actually.

Thankfully, Terezi pulls everyone along from it. "My turn now, right? For context my sight was already shit before I lost it. So, one morning, I went to get my glasses. They weren't there so I went to get my contacts instead, still half-asleep, and I couldn't find those either. I started panicking like an idiot and yelled for my sister. She had to remind me that I didn't need those things because I'm fucking blind."

Vriska just starts cackling at that; not that anyone doesn't since it's ridiculous.

"So that's why I wear these sick glasses now!" She finishes. "I was so used to them being there that I panicked when they weren't."

"I can't beat that," Dave starts, "Anyways, I accidentally walked off a roof."

You can't help but snort. How are you supposed to follow that?

"Shit, I don't have anything that fucking funny. One time I yelled 'Shut the fuck up' instead of 'Bless you' at my brother?"

"How the fuck do you say 'shut the fuck up' instead of 'bless you'?" Dave asks.

"How the fuck did you accidentally walk off a fucking roof?" you shoot back, not missing a beat.

He pauses. "Touche. Sollux, you're up."

"I picked up a wasp. It stung me a lot." He gets nine equally confused stares, and so elaborates; "I try to save bees whenever I can. I saw the yellow and lost all my braincells."

Gamzee stares intently into the distance for a few moments until Tavros prods him, at which point he blurts out, "Walked into the fridge."

"Like… The side of it?" Vriska asks after a moment of silence.

"Nah. Got right motherfuckin' in there. Cold as shit."

Before the confused silence can drag on too long, Tavros jumps in. "I try- tried to ph-to phone my pet when I couldn't find it… More th- more than once."

"You're all dumbasses!" Vriska announces. "Can't relate."

"You can't just not answer," Jade huffs. "Everyone else shared something, don't be rude."

"Watch me."

You flip her off. "It doesn't have to hit a communal fucking standard. Join in or fuck off."

"Karkat, behave," they scold you… for some reason. You don't understand why you're the one who needs to behave. They turn to Vriska. "Make an effort. The rest of us are trying to engage, the least you can do is take part."

"Actually, the least I can do would be not getting up in the morning." She crosses her arms and sits back in her chair.

"Stop being such a bitch!" Yes, Jade _just_ told you to stop. Yes, you are completely ignoring them. Yes, you expect this to backfire spectacularly.

"How rude, Karkat. You should be nicer." A smug smile spreads over her face.

"You wretched, ass-shitting fuckstench-"

"Okay," Jade interrupts, "moving on! Minecraft blocks. I like leaf blocks! Aradia, what blocks do you like?"

A thoughtful look passes over her face. "Magma blocks."

"Redstone blocks are the best," Terezi announces.

"Nah, nah. Dirt blocks. Dirt blocks are like the gods of Minecraft. I'd fu-"

You cut Dave off as swiftly as you can. "No one wants to hear the rest of that sentence. I like infested blocks because silverfish are tiny and stupid."

Obviously, Vriska just can't resist; "Like you?"

"Perish."

"I'm with TZ. Redstone's the only valid block," Sollux cuts in before Vriska can speak again.

"I'm all about them motherfuckin' jukeboxes, brothers," Gamzee adds on.

There's a short pause before Tavros answers; "Slime blocks, I gu-guess? Or oa- oak logs?"

And now it's back to Vriska. "You dorks play Minecraft? Like… unironically?"

Your response is cut short by the sharp smack of Sollux's fist on the table. "You do not fucking insult Minecraft. Name a block. _Now._"

The suddenness of the noise made multiple people jump-shockingly, Vriska was one of them. When she finally answers, her voice has lost all of its venom.

"Spiderweb."

"Thank you."

Rose appears in the doorway with the first of the plates, followed by the rest of the group. As she starts placing them down, she curtly informs you all that; "We made pancakes. I hope you like them because I refuse to make anything else."

"I apologised like ten times!" Eridan protests. You notice he has almost nothing to carry. You doubt that was his choice.

"I don't care. You are a danger to the kitchen, and you are banned from returning." She drops into her seat and shoots him a dirty look.

"What did he do?" Terezi asks, when it becomes clear no more details are being given.

"He knocked me over." Rose has already begun her meal, with no regard for those still having their plates passed out.

"It was an accident!" he whines. "And you didn't even fall, Kanaya caught you!"

His childish protests don't help him-most of the group is laughing at him at least a little; Sollux most of all. Through his snickers, he spits out, "God, you're such an idiot, Ampora."

Since he does look genuinely remorseful, you try not to laugh _too_ much. You're largely alone in this though-Kanaya and Jade are the only other people doing the same.

"You're all awful," Eridan grumbles, staring down at his plate.

Finally taking pity on him, Feferi shushes you all. "Let's not be mean, guys! Time to leave him alone."

As the group calms Sollux leans over to you. "Wouldn't want him to throw a temper tantrum," he murmurs. You snort, earning you a couple glares from around the table, but both you and Sollux put on an innocent face.

The group settles into quiet chatter after that-until the Brother's announcement sounds again. It feels like it went much sooner this morning, but you suppose the meal did start a bit later. No one pays much attention to what he says-you already know the gist of it, why listen to brittle details-and once it ends, none of you move for a moment. Knowing there's no real choice in the matter, you drag yourself up, followed by everyone else. Everyone takes their own crockery to the kitchen and Equius quietly picks up the first-aid kit along the way. A pit of dread begins to build in your stomach, as you think over what happened yesterday.

On the whole, getting everyone on the stage goes much smoother than the previous attempt. All of you quickly slot into place with only one exception; Vriska. It seems she's unable to jump up with her injured arm and there are no stairs in sight, yet she is adamantly refusing help.

"Vriska, please," you hear Equius pleading, "I can easily lift you onto the stage. Let me help."

"I'm fine," she insists. She's clearly not fine.

This continues for almost half a minute before Nepeta tires of it and slips off the stage. With a cross cry of "Fur goodness _sakes!"_, purr walks over and lifts Vriska up herself. Equius and Nepeta purrself seem to be the only ones unsurprised by this turn of events.

You can't help but gape as she returns to purrs spot beside you. Purr stares straight back.

"What?"

"Nothing, just… you're like, what, five-foot fucking two?"

"Five-foot three," purr corrects.

"Right. And Vriska's like…" You hesitate. "Five ten?" You lean forward to give her a questioning look, and she holds up nine fingers. "Five nine. A whole half fucking foot taller than you."

"Yeah? And?" Nepeta tilts purrs head.

"How exactly, the fuck, did you do that?"

"She isn't very heavy," purr answers with a shrug.

As much as you would love to hear more about how Nepeta can apparently lift a whole Vriska, the moment passes abruptly when the back door to the stage slams open. The Brother looks just as pissy as every other time you've seen him.

"Ready to get shot at, shit-for-brains?" he screeches.

"Sure," Vriska drawls. "But you can't aim for shit. So, you're not much of a threat."

The Brother stamps his foot, and the bang echoes throughout the room. "Shut _up, _bitch! Everyone face forward now; it needs to be a surprise."

Surprising yourself, you answer back; "What does it matter? The bullet's still gonna go to the same fucking place whether we watch it or not."

"That place will be your head if you don't shut up," he barks.

Your mouth closes with a snap. Nepeta shifts closer and takes your hand tightly-it's a bigger comfort than you care to admit.

The pacing begins, just as infuriatingly steady and purposeful as yesterday. You clench your eyes shut and try to count his footsteps, then the seconds it takes for him to do a loop, then just the seconds. Anything for a distraction. Anything other than the fact that you're the last one he threatened. After at least a full minute of constant pacing-you've counted a minute, but have no idea how much time you didn't count at the start-the sound starts to fade more than it should. More than it has before. You dare to open your eyes once it fades entirely. He's gone. There was no gunshot. Where the fuck did he go?

You and Nepeta look at each other tentatively. It seems like it might actually be over-and then you hear the distant shot. Seems he just decided not to shoot a person today. He returns shortly afterwards, looking out of breath and overly pleased with himself.

"I don't give a shit what you do anymore. Just start fucking killing each other soon."

He vanishes behind the stage and you can finally breathe easy again.

Feferi jumps down not a moment later. "We should go find out what that was."

"He mentioned he might shoot out our door locks," Rose points out, jumping down with her. "It was probably that."

"The only question is… whose lock?" Jade adds, their voice shaking almost imperceptibly.

They don't get an answer. You all walk back to the corridor in silence, crushing anxiety coming from everyone-including yourself. You still don't want to believe that any of these people would kill, but not having a door lock would be one sure-fire way to change that opinion.

As you reach the bedrooms, several people half sprint to their door. You're too scared to run, but when you reach it you don't hesitate in looking. Safe.

Gamzee calls out a second later. "Mine. Wasn't motherfuckin' using it anyway; ain't no loss to me."

Relief sweeps through all of you. You've gotten off easy for today.

With that mystery soled, everyone begins breaking off into smaller groups. It seems wise to do the same.

**Free time has begun. Who will you spend time with?  
Selection: Kanaya.**

You wander over to where Kanaya is standing with Rose, Jade and Vriska. You had fun talking to her yesterday, and you think she had fun too, so you hope she won't mind spending some more time with you.

"Hey, Kanaya." Vriska glares at you for interrupting, but you do succeed in getting Kanaya's attention. "I was gonna go make tea or something. Thought you might wanna come?"

"Of course! I'd love to." She bids her group goodbye and walks with you to the kitchen. At first you feel bad for stealing her from them, but then you remember that Jade hates you and Vriska sucks and you decide you don't care too much.

"Tea again?" You ask as you start the kettle. She nods, so you get on with making it. It doesn't take long to finish up. Once you do, you turn to Kanaya with the steaming cups and find that she has jumped up to sit on the counter and-holy shit that's a bad headache.

You put the cups back down before you can spill anything and clutch your head. Where the hell did that come from? You were fine a second ago, but the moment you looked at Kanaya the most splitting headache just slammed into you.

But it's gone as quickly as it arrived. After only a few seconds, you're completely fine. Now that your head has cleared enough to hear yourself think, you can also hear Kanaya asking if you're okay. She has left the counter and crossed the room, standing just next to you and gently holding your arm, which is still up at your head.

"I'm… yeah, I'm alright," you finally answer. "My head just got really fucking sore for a sec. Not a big deal, completely over it now."

"If you say so." She doesn't sound convinced. "Are we going through to the dining room again?"

You… don't want to walk that far. You're concerned the headache might come back, and you're also fucking lazy.

"Nah," you decide. "I'm gay, I don't a chair." You take your tea and drop down to the floor as cautiously as possible.

Kanaya laughs. "I'll drink to that." And drink she does. She lifts her cup and sips. Immediately, her face fills with regret. "I have scalded my mouth."

You really don't want to laugh, but it's hilarious so you can't help yourself. Thankfully, she does seem to appreciate the ridiculousness of this situation, since she's laughing along with you.

It takes a while for you to compose yourself, but you soon manage and pull yourself up from the floor and take the tea from her hand. "You'll want to avoid putting more hot shit in your mouth, unless you want to take the roof of it completely. I'll get you some milk instead."

"Don't pour it out," she tells you. "I like cold tea; I'll just drink it a little later. Milk would still be nice though. This is rather painful."

You get her a glass of milk which she takes gratefully and the two of you sit down on the floor-which is, thank fuck, decently clean.

"It seems like you've dealt with oral burns before," she observes, after a moment of silence.

"I mentioned that I make a lot of tea for my brother, right? He's a fucking idiot, he either forgets about it until I bring a second cup or he tries to drink the whole thing as soon as I fucking give him it."

"How many times has he done this?"

"At least… too many." You can't imagine trying to count up all the times. "It happens like once a week. I'm pretty used to it by now; it's not that hard to deal with. Just gotta cool the area down fast and it's usually fine within a day or two." A silence settles for a few moments as you try to find something to say. When it starts to drag on, you just go with the first thing that comes to mind. "What are you planning to do when we get out of here?"

"See a therapist, most likely." You snort. She continues; "And then I think I'll start to work through my bucket list. I never tried to hard to cross things off, but after this… It seems there's a lot less time in the world than I had thought."

"What kinda shit do you have on your bucket list? I never bothered making one myself; felt too depressing. Figured I'd just do it when I was old."

She thinks for a moment. "Normal things, I suppose. Get married-or at least have a girlfriend. Travel. My sister and I are planning to get matching tattoos on my eighteenth birthday. I have a shelf of books I'm yet to read."

"What kind of books?" you ask.

"Oh, they're-" Her face flushes as she finishes. "Embarrassing."

You think back to your shelves and shelves of trashy romance novels and laugh. "It cannot be any more embarrassing than the shit I read," you promise.

Kanaya hesitates, but apparently decides you're trustworthy since she answers, "I… read a lot of vampire books. Particularly romance."

"Kanaya, that's not embarrassing. What's embarrassing is reading shitty romance novels aimed at middle aged women. Can you guess what my shelves are filled with?"

She laughs. "I suppose that is more embarrassing. Guilty pleasures are always the most enjoyable, aren't they?"

The two of you discuss your favourite novels for the next while; Kanaya is delighted to explain the intricacies of lesbian vampire novels, and you're just as happy at the opportunity to explain the unnecessarily convoluted plots of your favourite romantic trash fires. By the end of the conversation, you know more than you thought you ever could about sapphic vampires, and you are delighted about it.

All good things must come to an end, however. When the cups are empty, and Kanaya has finished detailing her favourite character's recovery from addiction, she turns to you and smiles apologetically.

"I hate to leave you," she says, "but the floor gets rather uncomfortable after a while. I'm going to go for a walk."

You consider going with her, but decide against it. No point in getting sick of each other. "That's fine. Have fun wherever you end up."

"I highly doubt I will do that, but thank you." She rises from the floor and give you one more, sweet smile before she goes.

Now you're just a kid on the floor, which is significantly less cool than being a kid with a friend on the floor. You are left with the age-old, dreaded decision: What will you do?

You could throw glasses at the wall and make a terrible, dangerous mess-but why the fuck would you ever want to do that. Someone would _definitely_ end up hurt.

You could boil the kettle and pour it on the floor-but that's even more stupid and reckless, so you're not going to do that or any other dumbass idea along those lines. You're going to sit here and behave until you think of something reasonable to do.

…

…

Okay, this is extremely fucking boring. For the sake of just having something to do, you end up pulling out your tablet and reading through Calliope's new note on Kanaya.

_Kanaya has a penchant for vampire novels, particularly those that include lesbian romance. Her favourite series follows the turbulent but extremely loving relationship between a vampire and a witch as they struggle with surprisingly real-world based issues._

Wow, something you already knew because you just had this conversation. Astounding. Whoever could have predicted this outcome.

You keep messing around with the tablet, hoping to find anything interesting at all-and, surprisingly, you do. When you click into your own ID, you find that the additional information slots have been replaced with a single one that simply reads "Diary". In this new menu, you're given the option to type something in. You aren't particularly interested in keeping a diary, especially not now of all times, but you suppose keeping track of who you were with wouldn't be a half bad idea; it'll waste some more time at least. It doesn't take very long to record it all, since you haven't really done much, and you very quickly find yourself sitting in boredom again, until you finally hear distant footsteps approaching. Now someone else can deal with your boredom!


	7. Calm Before The Storm

Eridan enters the room as you put your tablet in your pocket. It takes a moment before he even notices you, since you're still sitting there on the floor, and once he does, he almost jumps back. It's not until you wave that he finally speaks.

"What are you doin'?"

"Sitting."

He raises his eyebrows. "…Why?"

"What else am I going to do, stand? Fuck off."

Eridan considers that for a moment. "Fair enough," he eventually answers. "Mind if I join you?"

**Let Eridan join you?  
Selection: Yes.**

You gesture beside you and he sits, carefully arranging his coat around him-oh, no. Not a coat. That's a cape. He's wearing a cape. You can't just not question a cape.

"What the fuck are you wearing?"

"What the fuck are _you_ wearing?" he shoots back.

"Normal fucking clothes-saying it back does not work when you're wearing a fucking cape!"

"My cape is great," he huffs, wrapping it up around him. "I have a portable blanket. What do you have? Nothing."

Oh, what a mistake he has made. "No, I have something way better than a portable blanket." Thank god you wore this shirt today. You gesture to him to come closer. He looks intrigued, so he leans closer-and is met with you pulling your pocket down to reveal a cartoon cat flipping him off. He scowls, and you laugh.

"How exactly is _that_," he points at your pocket, "better than this?" With a flourish, he tugs his cape entirely over his head and pulls his knees up to his chest.

"While you were busy putting on a fucking cape, I was flipping people off without using my hands. No wonder you knocked Rose over with that fucking thing on, it's a miracle you can even get around without falling on your ass every five seconds."

"It's not _that_ long," he protests. He flips the cape back down, but keeps it bundled up and as much off the floor as he can. You scoff, but don't give a rebuttal. The cape's ridiculous and that's really all there is to say about it. Eridan doesn't let the silence last long and quickly picks the conversation back up. "How long do you think we'll be stuck in here?"

"Too fucking long," is the only answer you can give. "It's already been a week longer than I want it to have been, and it's not even been two full days yet."

He snorts. "Yeah, this shit sucks… Company is nice though."

"I don't think that makes it any better, honestly. I'd rather not meet cool people if it also meant I didn't get fucking kidnapped."

"Silver linin's, Kar."

"You're just saying this shit because you like Feferi." He flushes, but you're not done. "Now is so not the goddamn time to be flirting with pretty girls; we have literally been motherfucking kidnapped. I'm all for love stories at unexpected times, but this crosses the fucking line."

"When else am I gonna get a chance to shoot my shot with a princess?"

"No, never fucking say that again, I'm gonna fucking throw up."

"Say what?"

"You know what, you dick. That phrase is fucking awful." You see a mischievous smile spread over his face and groan. "Don't fucking dare."

"Or what?" He has a stupid smirk on his face, and for good reason. There isn't really much you can do to stop him. You're not stupid enough to threaten violence in this situation, and you're not a big enough dick to cause any damage to anything he has. You scour his person for anything you can use against him and finally settle on his glasses. Stealing them is annoying, certainly, but ultimately harmless.

Unfortunately for you, you're just about the least subtle motherfucker on the planet. By the time you try to snatch them, he's well aware of what you're doing and catches your hand with ease. He grabs you quite harshly, although not hard enough to actually hurt, but his grip loosens immediately.

"Holy fuck, you're warm."

You pull your hand free. "And you're a fucking ice cube apparently. How the shitting hell are you even alive at that temperature?"

"Wait, no come back-" He catches hold of your wrist again and tugs you closer. You don't really try to stop him-he may be freezing, but you're one touch-starved bitch and you'll take what you can get-until he pulls you again, almost into his lap.

"Are you trying to freeze me to death? You're so fucking cold, let me go-"

"Please, Kar, just c'mere," he pleads. You sigh and let yourself get pulled right against him, and finally see this for what it is. The perfect opportunity to continue stealing his glasses.

This time, he's so preoccupied with holding you in his lap that he doesn't notice what you're up to until it's far too late. You take them with ease.

"Ha! Hope you like blurry vision, fuckass."

"Hey-give those back, I can't see shit without them!"

You hold your arm out as far as you can, laughing as he squints-and then not laughing so much when he effortlessly reaches out and plucks them from your hand. Damn your inferior limbs.

"No fair," you groan. "You're stupidly tall so you have massive arms, this shit is fucking rigged."

"It's not my fault you're tiny! I'm not even that tall, this is entirely a you problem."

"Silence, giant. Tall people don't get rights." You rest your head against him. He's pretty comfortable, honestly, so you're not all that annoyed with this situation. You're already there; why not take advantage of it?

Things fall silent for a brief moment before he insists again, "I'm really not that tall."

"You're over half a fucking foot taller than me, you shitstain."

"Because you're small! Besides, the only person in here who's height deserves to be complained about is Sol."

You think for a second. Sollux is massively taller than you, as most people are, but you could have sworn that; "Isn't Equius the tallest?"

He shakes his head, messing up your hair in the process. "Sol slouches. He's 6'6."

"That motherfucker." Eridan snorts as you continue, "No one needs to be that fucking tall! No wonder I'm so short, that rat bastard stole all the height for himself."

"So, will you stop complaining about me now?"

"Absolutely not. His height crimes do not outweigh your own."

"Come on!" he protests. "I don't get any reprieve over his bullshit?"

"I barely pass your shoulder, dickwad. You're still way too tall to be valid." You relax against his shoulder and reconsider slightly. "Okay, you get some points for being comfy. But you're still a shitrotting fucker for being so tall."

Eridan is apparently content with that and smiles, wrapping his arms around you. You sit with him in peace for a while-you can't remember the last time you hugged anyone that wasn't your dad, so you aren't in a rush for this to end-until the silence gets too annoying for you. You have to break it.

"So, do you pull this shit often? Annoy people into cuddling you?"

He doesn't answer for a moment, but finally says; "Not usually on a kitchen floor after having been kidnapped, but yeah, I guess I do. It's usually just my bro, though."

"You two pretty close then?" You shift yourself around slightly to sit against his arm; it's weird having a conversation with his head above yours.

He nods. "My dad works a lot, so Cro kinda raised me." Seeming to anticipate your next question, he continues, "He's only a couple years older, but he was good at taking care of me. Do you have siblings?"

"Yeah, I've got a big brother too. We aren't that close though. He annoys the shit out of me, I annoy the shit out of him, we'd still kill for each other. Y'know, sibling stuff."

He laughs at that and brings a hand up to cover his mouth. In doing so, he takes away the main thing supporting you and you immediately fall back with a shout. You don't even hit the ground before his arms are back around you, but that doesn't stop you digging your nails in and growling out, "I will bite you if you ever fucking do that again, fucknuts."

"Kinky," he responds.

"Ahem."

Both of your heads snap to look at Rose, standing in the door with her arms crossed.

"Having fun down there?"

"Yep, we are having an absolute fucking ball of a time," you answer. "Utterly stupendous, actually." You realise that this must look pretty fucking weird from her perspective, but that doesn't stop you from acting like a little shit.

"Well, we need the kitchen to make dinner, so could you continue," she gestures, "_this_ somewhere else?"

"Sounds reasonable, leaving now." You drag yourself up in a hurry, Eridan right behind you.

You abscond the fuck out of there without even saying goodbye. There isn't much point in going back to your room, so you head into the dining room. You're the first one there, which isn't exactly a surprise. It's nice though; you get some respite before having to deal with more human interaction. In this brief alone time, you check what notes Calliope made on your interaction.

_Eridan has an older brother that he's very close with, and has a tendency to annoy people into cuddle sessions. His most common victim is his brother, but he doesn't seem picky about it._

Cool, so it's just a minor callout post. That's fun.

Before long, people start joining you. Tavros, Equius, Gamzee and Eridan take their seats without more than a greeting, but the most talkative people aren't far behind them. Jade starts with an ice-breaker before Vriska and Terezi even sit down.

"Alright, I think I've found one of the best ice-breakers we can have!" they declare. "Re-enact your favourite vine. I'll go first; aa. Aaa. AAAA."

Terezi takes a breath, before yelling loudly, "I've McFallen. I'm sorry-I've McFallen."

"I'm just chilling," Dave says, in a surprisingly good impression, "in Cedar Rapids."

And now it's your turn. It's pretty much impossible for you to pick a favourite vine, so you just go with the first one to come to mind; "People say I can't do what I want without college-I don't need no degree to be a clothing hanger."

While the next few are funny, it's Equius' re-enactment that has you all in stitches; the sound of her deep, deadpan voice quoting "Mothertrucker dude, that hurt like a buttcheek on a stick" is just too much for any of you to keep a straight face. You and Jade in particular collapse into complete hysterics for far too long, until Jade wipes away the tears that have been spilling out of their eyes and you manage to pull yourself together.

"Now that we've made it through that, I prepared a slightly calmer question! What is your favourite Pokémon? Mine is Tangela!"

"You know the grass lady everyone wants to fuck?" Terezi asks.

There's a silence, as everyone looks to each other. You all know what xe means, but no one's willing to say it. Finally, Dave takes one for the team; "… Gardevoir?"

"That's the bitch."

"You've got a point with sexy grass lady, and Jade's little tentacle monster is cool too, but let's be honest here. The true best Pokémon is," he pauses for effect, "Geodude."

"Tepig is superior to that fucking pile of gravel in every way, you dumb piece of shit," you shoot back.

"Geodude's a rock, dude. _Graveler_ is a pile of gravel."

"You'll be a pile of gravel in a minute."

"Let's just all accept that Gengar could destroy all of your pathetic faves and be done with it," Eridan interrupts.

"Absolutely not," you and Dave answer in unison. You blink in surprise, before scowling at him. He is, unsurprisingly, unfazed.

"Come on now, brothers," Gamzee soothes. "No need to fight over it. Banette's motherfuckin' better anyway."

"I like Charizard…" Tavros tries to contribute, but Vriska cuts in with a groan.

"God, you're so basic. Pick something with flair-like Araquanid."

"You leave him the fuck alone, Charizard is cool," you defend.

Dave joins in not a moment later. "Charizard is the best final evolution of the starters. Also nothing past the original 151 exists, so Araquanid isn't real, actually."

Vriska bites back with some, unfortunately accurate, remark about Geodude, and the conversation gets progressively more heated. Soon, everyone's talking over each other, and you can hardly hear yourself think never mind yell about the majesty that is Tepig. At some point, you threaten to steal and drown Vriska's Pokémon games, which is possibly the most ridiculous threat you've made in your life, especially considering she has no way to access them and you _really_ have no way to access them. You're in the middle of yelling at Equius that Machamp was one of the stupidest Pokémon to ever be created when Jade shouts over the group for you all to quieten down.

"Guys, all Pokémon are good, this is a subjective situation! They're just little pixel creatures we use to beat up other little pixel creatures, it isn't this deep."

But you're in much too deep to drop this now. "And Tepig is the best little pixel creature used to beat up other little pixel creatures, do you have a fucking problem with that?"

"Yes, I do. Because you're wrong." They smile sweetly, as the kitchen group enter with dinner, knowing you're not going to drag this conversation out with everyone there. Whatever-you'll have this argument later.

"Sounds like you were having quite the heated discussion," Rose comments once everyone has a plate. "What were you talking about?"

Terezi gleefully opens xir mouth, but Dave clamps his hand over it before xe can say anything. Vriska saves you all from further questioning by quickly answering, "Something dumb. Not even worth repeating."

Thankfully, she accepts this answer and you all dig in to your meal in peace. After a while of eating, Feferi puts her cutlery down to address you all. "So, did anyone find anyfin useful today?" Even after the disappointment of yesterday, she sounds upbeat and hopeful, and you start to feel guilty that you didn't even try today.

"I certainly found _something_," Rose murmurs pointedly, just quiet enough that Feferi can't hear. You mouth a few expletives in her direction but are met with only a sly smile.

No one has a serious answer for her, but Feferi doesn't let the silence sit for long. She smacks her fist against her palm and speaks again, sounding more confident than ever. "Tomorrow we are all going to search this place, top to bottom, until we find a way out! We will not rest until we have escaped. Got it?"

Everyone agrees, some more enthusiastically than others. You don't know how likely it is that you're actually going to find a way out, but her confidence is enough to make you want to try. The dining room starts clearing out not long after, until you and Feferi are the only ones left.

**Stay with Feferi?  
Selection: Yes**

Leaving doesn't seem to have much of a point when you can just stay here and maybe get to know Feferi a bit better. You haven't talked to her much one-on-one, but she's been nothing but sweet and smiley, and oh what wonderful timing, she's not smiling anymore.

Feferi pushes her plate out of the way and slumps down over the table with an extended groan.

"Hey-you okay?" you ask awkwardly. You honestly aren't sure if she actually noticed you're still there. Maybe you should've left after all; maybe she wanted to be alone.

"I'm trying _very hard_ to stay positive for everyone right now," she answers, "but that little psycho is _really_ pushing me. This whole game is just…" She lets out another groan.

You move over to a closer seat; it's kinda hard to be comforting from across the table; but she continues speaking before you can do anything more.

"I've been kidnapped before, but this… this really takes the cake."

"Hold on, you've-this has happened to you before?"

She raises her head and nods dismissively. "My mother may be queen, but that doesn't mean people like it. I'm the youngest, so I'm an easier target than my sister. All of those situations have been normal though!" You shoot her a look and she amends; "as normal as a kidnapping can be. They didn't kidnap fifteen others and tell us to kill each other."

"Okay, I guess I can understand how being regular kidnapped would be a comparatively normal situation to this complete shitshow." You think for a moment as something occurs to you. "Wait, how are you here, actually? Aren't you supposed to be in a castle or something, doing… princess things…? I don't know anything about royalty."

Feferi laughs and pulls herself up properly. "After the third kidnap attempt my sister convinced our mother we'd be safer out of the country until we come of age. That was a couple years ago now."

"Third?" you ask. "I get that you're kinda a massive fucking deal, but I thought a royal family would have better security."

"Oh, no! There were many more, this was just the third to get past our security. I was too young to remember the first in any detail, and the second was when I was ten. Those both succeeded, but the third failed at the last hurdle."

You know you shouldn't ask but- "What happened to the kidnappers?"

"Death sentence," she answers nonchalantly. "Not a fan of it myself, but it's not up to me yet. If I get to take the throne, I'll be abolishing it, of course, but it's my mother's choice for now."

There isn't much to say to that. You try to move on a little instead. "It's kinda good that you've been through this before. You've kinda been great at keeping everyone stable."

"Well, I'm doing my best! But honestly, this whole thing has me stressed to death… Shooting at us for intimidation alone is one of the strangest things I've ever seen; if he wants us dead so bad, why isn't he killing us himself? He clearly has the means to!"

You take a moment to figure out what to say. Obviously, she's right, but something makes you want to build her up more than just agree. "You must be a pretty great actress then. You've seemed to calm and put together-"

"Put together?" she snorts. "I'm a mess. I just know that I have to stay strong for everyone else. Without someone to look to for guidance, they'll fall apart. I'm used to taking on that role." She smiles, but it doesn't reach her eyes.

"Sounds pretty fucking lonely," you comment.

"I suppose it is… Having Eridan and Sollux around helps though. Their antics are," she hesitates, like she can't find the word, "entertaining. And it's good for them too. Keeps them occupied."

You can't help but notice that she adds that last bit as a hurried afterthought, but you brush it off. "Eridan really seems to like you," you say. She waves her hand.

"He's sweet, but I'm sure he'll get over it when we escape. I'm much too busy keeping everyone friends to think about anything else, and honestly…" She leans over to you conspiratorially. "He's kinda clingy. I think he's got some kind of dependency issue? Whatever it is, he needs to chill out."

"Hey, he's not that bad," you argue. You spent half the day with that guy, you can't just let her insult him like that. "We're all fucked up right now, he needs someone to rely on."

"Sure, I guess." She straightens up. "You're right, it's probably just the stress. I just wish he could lighten up a little! Focusing on the bad parts of this situation won't help us."

That sounds reasonable… What she was saying still rubs you the wrong way, but you decide to give her the benefit of the doubt. She's been so nice otherwise; she can't have meant anything by it. "Yeah, I guess thinking like that is why you're in charge. And good thing you are; without you, we'd probably all be running around like headless fucking chickens."

"I never understood that phrase. Wouldn't a headless chicken just be dead?"

"No, they can live for at least a few seconds post decapitation. There was one that just didn't die at all-well, he did eventually, he choked to death, but he was alive for 18 months after getting decapitated. His name was Mike-not the point. Usually they just kick about for a few seconds. They aren't really _alive_ though, it's just the last little kick before they give out." You stop talking when you realise that Feferi's staring at you in horror. "TMI?"

"No, it-I mean, that was horrific, but… informative? How do you even know that?"

"I spend a lot of time looking up weird shit. Insomnia's a bitch, and learning useless information is the only thing I can be bothered with at 4am."

She still looks vaguely disgusted as she replies, "That sure explains it. To go back to your original statement, thank you. It really means a lot that you have so much faith in me." This time when she grins, it feels genuine. It doesn't last long though, as she soon continues, "I'm so worried that I might fail everyone. Everything is so confusing, and I don't know how much we can even trust. Are we really supposed to kill each other, or is this all some sick trick and if we take the bait we'll be handed over to police? And if it turns out there's no way to escape and we really do have to kill each other… is it even worth trying to survive? If he's telling the truth about everything, maybe we'd be better off dying sooner rather than later…" She freezes suddenly, like she's only now realising what she's saying. "Sorry! That was… much darker than I meant it to be."

"Don't worry," you reassure her, "I'm pretty sure we're all thinking it. None of us fucking like it, obviously, but someone had to say it. We have no fucking clue what we're in for here; it's not like we've been through anything similar before. It's scary as shit, and it's actually kinda nice to know that you're scared too. Stops me worrying if I'm just being a pussy."

"You're definitely not being a pussy," she replies, smiling softly. It's not the big grin you got before, but it's better than nothing. She looks like she's going to say something more, but the _ping_ of her tablet cuts her off.

She excuses herself and frowns as she pulls it out to find what could be so important right now. To fill the gap, you find yourself pulling out your own and reading the new note, which Calliope has already added.

_Feferi has been kidnapped twice in her life, and moved out of the country with her sister after the third attempt. However, these situations were relatively normal compared to the current one, and she is just as frightened as everyone else, although she is taking care to hide this for the good of the group._

"Sollux and Eridan are arguing over something," Feferi tells you after a moment of reading. "It seems like it's probably something ridiculous, but I should probably go settle them down before it escalates. Those two could argue about anything, I swear… I'll see you in the morning, Karkat." She stands and stretches-you two have been sitting for quite some time now.

"I'll walk with you, I was probably gonna end up going to bed soon anyway. There is _nothing_ to fucking do in this place." You rise to join her, and the two of you walk through the corridor. For the sake of having something to talk about, you fill her in on more of the details of the headless chicken, and she only looks mildly horrified so you count that as a win.

At the corner where your paths separate, you each other goodnight and wave goodbye, as you continue on to your room and she turns for the rec room.

Your door closes behind you with a thump. You aren't really all that tired, but there really isn't anything else you can think of to do. Everyone's either already in bed, or already talking to someone, and you don't want to just interject yourself into someone else's conversation. Maybe you should've made some tea before coming through. There's an idea actually; the tea might help tire you out a little too.

This is a good plan, you decide. You head back along the corridor and into the kitchen, which is thankfully empty. While getting the sugar, you find a pack of lavender tea bags right at the back of the cupboard. The pack is open, but it doesn't look like many have been used, if any at all. You figure it can't do you much harm and take one. Lavender is the best for getting you sleepy anyway.

In what feels like no time at all, the tea is done and you're moving back through to your room, blowing on it carefully. You hear voices behind you-quickly identified as John and Rose-presumably also on their way to an early bedtime. The two of them wave to you, so you wave back and head on your way.

The door feels like it almost slams this time as you cross the room to put your tea down. You try to ignore the sick feeling in your stomach and get changed, ready for bed. You still aren't tired, but that's what the tea's for. The complete lack of entertainment is really starting to get to you; what you wouldn't do for your phone, or even just a pen and some paper… Well, you know exactly what you wouldn't do. You wouldn't kill someone. And unfortunately, that's the only method you've been offered so far, so it looks like entertainment is staying a pipe dream for now.

You try to get comfy in bed-you fail-and drink your tea-which is still boiling hot. After you've been lying down, tossing and turning, and sitting up every so often to sip, you sit bolt upright with the realisation that you didn't lock your door. You jump up to do so, trying to reason yourself to calmness. Realistically, it's unlikely for someone to go for the murder bait in the first place! Even if they did, it's still a one in fifteen chance that it would be you they targeted. Nothing happened; you're fine. The door is locked now. You're safe.

The facts do nothing to quell the dark feeling in the back of your mind. You double-check the lock before going back to bed. Going to sleep isn't going to be easy after that slip-up.


	8. A Day In The Shades

**It's time to be the other guy.  
Selection: Dave.**

_You are now Dave._

Of all the bullshit to happen in your life, this is by far the worst. If you ever get out of this place, Bro is never going to let you forget that you were dumb enough to get yourself kidnapped and worse—dumb enough to forget how it happened. Can't learn shit from this experience when you haven't the slightly goddamn clue how it started.

The only upside to any of this is that you've made a couple sweet new pals. You are, of course, using both the word "sweet" and the word "pals" in an entirely ironic way because both of those words sound dumb as fuck when used in a serious sense and not in relation to candy or the iconic online parody series of a popular wizard book franchise. This explanation is also entirely ironic, because these things don't actually need explained. Obviously.

You figure that after all that thinking to yourself, it's probably about time you actually got out of bed and started your day. Before you do that though, you check your tablet, just to make sure everything's going down the same as it did yesterday. Being kidnapped sucks, but you are enjoying having the ability to lie down for an extra few minutes in the morning.

\- cuttlefishCuller [CC] began pestering Unnamed Group Chat –-

CC: )(ey! Are we going by t)(e same pattern today? 38D

TT: I think that would be reasonable, yes.

CC: W)(en s)(ould we meet up this time?

TT: I want to shower before breakfast, so we could meet in the kitchen in about half an hour? And people who aren't cooking can show up a little later.

CC: Good plan 38)

TT: Don't bother answering to agree with the plan, that just causes message flood. Only say something if there's a problem. I don't feel like reading 14 more agreements.

It seems so. You flip to another chat window and tap out a message to Terezi.

\- turntechGodhead [TG] began pestering gallowsCalibrator [GC] -

TG: am i walking you to the dining room again

GC: Y34H :]

TG: okay i really gotta ask, how tf are you doing that face with your voice

GC: 1'M NOT 1'M JUST R34LLY HOP1NG 1 H1T TH3 R1GHT BUTTONS

TG: pfft

TG: you ready to go now or

GC: Y34H W3 C4N H34D NOW

TG: lit

TG: see you in a moment homeslice

\- turntechGodhead [TG] ceased pestering gallowsCalibrator [GC] -

Heh. Homeslice. What a great word to use with nineteen layers of prime irony.

You walk out and rap of xir door with the secret knock you two made up yesterday. It's just your name in Morse code. Under the ironic intent, you think it might be kinda genuinely cool.

The door opens at the last knock, making you think she was probably just waiting to see if you remembered. Good thing you spent hours last night tapping it into your arm when you couldn't sleep.

"You know when you pour cinnamon on cherries?" xe says, reaching for your arm. You let xem take it and start guiding; xe doesn't _really_ need your help—xe's learned xir way around pretty well already, but you both like this routine.

"Yeah, I love getting that funky powder all over my fruits. Just dumping powder on sleek little red balls so it immediately falls right back off." You pause for a fraction of a second before answering seriously. "No, I don't fucking know."

"That's what you smell like!" xe announces. "It's delicious."

"Gonna have to ask you not to use eating words about me. Really don't like the implication that I'm gonna get tasted. This is a no vore zone, TZ, I'm not up for voration now or ever."

Xe hits your arm. "You know that's not what I meant! Besides, you aren't worth a whole voring. You'd get a lick at most."

"How dare you," you say, with the fakest offense you can muster. "I deserve at least a nibble."

"In your dreams," xe scoffs.

You absolutely _could_ continue this conversation—and you honestly want to; this is exactly the type of shit you can run with and create an absolute train wreck of an interaction with—but you're entering the dining room already and while you normally wouldn't care about talking about weird things in front of people, being known as the vore kid in such an enclosed area just does not sound fun. So, you shut your trap.

The group gets uncomfortably quiet at first. When it feels like everyone's there, you crack and just start saying words.

"I'm just gonna assume we're headed towards another massive brick wall of silence over here, based on the fact that no one's said shit yet. Howsabout instead of driving directly into the fucking wall like an online sad story from 2006, we do some more ice-breakers?"

Yeah, that made enough sense. Your suggestion works, and Jade quickly provides some prime icebreakers to get conversation going again. However, since you—the reader, not Dave—have already been through this conversation while being Karkat, you—Dave, but also the reader—will be moved forward to the stage.

Yesterday's shot shook you up pretty badly, though you'd be loathed to admit it. You think you hid it pretty well, but as the Brother starts pacing behind you, you can't deny that you are nervous as fuck. Most of this awfulness, you can separate from the usual bullshit of home; most of this stuff isn't really bro's style. But the pacing is just too similar. After a while, Jade reaches for your hand and keeps you in a vice grip until the footsteps fade. You can't tell if they're scared or if they just know that you are.

The fading of the footsteps doesn't calm you at all. If anything, it scares you more; at least before you could tell where he was. Now he could be anywhere.

The gun goes off.

You manage not to scream at the sound, but you do tighten your grip on Jade so much that she turns to you in concern—but you're already letting go and turning away. The panic is being shoving deep down into the farthest reaches of repression. You're fine. This is fine.

Soon, the asshat comes back, almost panting. He spits out, "I don't give a shit what you do anymore. Just start fucking killing each other soon," and he disappears again.

"We should go find out what that was." Feferi jumps down from the stage, ready to take charge as usual.

Rose jumps down after her. "He mentioned he might shoot out our door locks. It was probably that."

Jade slips down next, frowning with concern. "The only question is… whose lock?"

Everyone else starts to get down off the stage, no one trying to answer Jade's question. It's generally understood between you all that you're going to find out.

The walk to the bedrooms is silent. Some people dash ahead. You don't. You have to maintain your image. That doesn't mean you don't audibly sigh when you find your door perfectly intact.

"Mine," Gamzee says a second later. "Wasn't motherfuckin' using it anyway; ain't no loss to me."

So, nothing's really changed. Everyone starts to split into groups as the panic passes. Jade turns towards you, and you quickly start looking for someone else to talk to. If you ignore them long enough, they'll forget about this morning. That's how this works, right? Finally, your eyes land on John. Perfect. He won't ask any difficult questions.

You sidle up to him as subtly as you can, which is to say probably not as subtly as you were hoping. He's just standing around though, and not paying much attention, so he doesn't see you coming regardless.

"Hey," you say about as casually as you can. "Whatcha up to there?" You follow his line of sight over to Gamzee's busted lock. "Just, uh. Just staring at the door?"

John's face lit up when you started talking, but by the time you're done he looks sheepish. "Yeah, pretty much. It's not every day you see something totally destroyed like that!"

"Well, it kinda is now," you point out. "When he's not going for one of us anyways. But this shit is about to get common as air. Maybe not that common actually, we'd just fill up with bullets if it was that bad." John snorts as you continue. "Imagine that. All the air just turns to bullets. We all just drop dead 'cause there's only bullets. Your lungs? Filled with bullets. Your blood? Filled with very tiny bullets. Everything is stuffed with tons of bullets. That little asshole is also dead now. Worldwide wipe out by bullet suffocation."

"It'd make a cinematic masterpiece if anyone were left to film it," John half-giggles.

"No, it wouldn't; you wouldn't be able to see anything! Just a complete blackout from all the bullets." He laughs again. "But in the event of the bullets being invisible—can you imagine just one guy left standing? He can fuckin' breathe bullets or whatever, so he's just unaffected and standing there as the rest of the world dies on the spot, and he can't even see the bullets so he's just surrounded by these goddamn corpses. He's looking around all nervous-like, staring at the bodies and that's just his life now."

John has been progressively laughing more and more as you go on, and by the time you're done he's falling against the wall. You, of course, are far too cool to actually laugh at your own hilarity. Much. You may have snickered a bit. You were being hilarious, it's allowed!

Finally, he seems to get over it and pull himself together. He starts talking, but your brain only takes in a few words before it clocks out from its, very goddamn important processing duties. You get about as far as realising he's talking about a movie and wow, the corridor sure emptied out fast. Or maybe you've just been talking longer than you realised? Nah, it can't have been that long. You've only just gotten here. You've been funny like one time; this has to have been an other-people thing. Is that light flickering? Ugh, creepy.

"Are you okay?" Shit. "Was I boring you?" he laughs awkwardly. "I know I kinda go on about movies—"

"Nah, dude, I'm totally peachy. Just getting my listen on, feeling cool as a cucumber in an icebox." Hopefully he buys that?

"You were staring at the wall for like… three minutes." Ah.

"That's… how I concentrate. This is a reasonable statement. Let's talk about a thing that isn't this now."

And, because John is pretty much the nicest guy you've ever met, he actually drops it, no questions asked. What a guy.

"Okay, so, yesterday morning—" Not that you're overly fond of him or anything. That would be weird. "—and we were looking around for clues and stuff—" That'd be weird, right? You've only known him for like two days. Getting attached to him would be totally weird. "—and then Jade said—" Y'know what's weirder though? "—Feferi's been so protagonist-y—" Just totally checking out from a conversation multiple times in quick succession. "—maybe _I'd_ be the protagonist, but I haven't really done anything hero-y I think. What do you think?"

Fuck, right, okay, you can figure this out. You remember bits of what he said. No problem.

"Yeah, dude, Fef's way more of a protag. None of that reluctant hero bullshit, she just stepped straight up to the metaphorical batting plate and just started swinging. Is that how sports work? I don't know sports."

You try to actually focus after that. No matter how good you can be at figuring out what you didn't process, it still scares the shit out of you every time you do it. And despite the fact that you are completely forgetting everything as soon as you've answered, you do keep answering. Wow, you're doing great at this concentrating thing today! Go you. Maybe your brain just works now? It sure would be great if—ah fuck you're doing it again.

John raises an eyebrow. "Did you hear me?"

"Of course I did, broseph. I'm hanging off your every word, I couldn't miss a goddamn thing if I tried. I'm paying you so much attention I could fill a goddamn bank. Gonna flood the place out with the several fucktons of attention coming your way—"

"What did I ask then?"

"Did you hear me," you quote automatically. John looks deflated and you know that this was absolutely not the correct answer. There's got to be some way out of this which doesn't involve fucking everything up way more. "Okay, I was listening at the time, seriously. My brain's just really awful and my short-term memory doesn't work, like, at all. It's like when you put down a thing and then forget where you put it and you're like "what the hell, I just had that thing" but the thing is gone. Except it's with things people say at me." He's staring. Fuck, he doesn't get this at all. "Memories are soup and my brain is a fork."

Whew, okay, he's laughing again. Maybe you haven't irredeemably fucked up. Thank God for your impeccable sense of humour.

"I asked if you wanted to go check how the others are doing," he tells you, finally.

"Oh, yeah, cool. Sounds good." You feel a little bit like he probably just wants to get rid of you, but it's probably a good plan anyway. Can't annoy him more if you're not there; now someone else will have to deal with you.

As you head off down the corridor, you start rapping quietly. It's certainly not your best work—you don't even know what you're rapping about, actually—but John seems to not hate it. Soon, you happen upon Vriska, Equius and Tavros in the rec room. John attempts to greet them, but he's only half-way through a "hello" by the time Vriska has bounced up and snatched him out of the room. So that's fun.

Since Equius and Tavros are still here and you're not exactly picky about who you hang out with, you decide you might as well stay. You head over and plonk yourself on the ground between them. Equius grimaces.

"Must you sit there?"

"Yeah. My ass was just absolutely itching to sit right here on this scratchy ass carpet. I had no choice, it was an absolute obligation so sit my little ass directly in this spot, there was nothing else I could do. I am only flesh and blood, Equius, the whims of ass control my every move."

"It is undignified," he seethes, but any intimidation factor is negated by Tavros giggling on your other side.

"Bold of you to assume I have dignity."

He sighs heavily, in a manner that distinctly reminds you of a horse. "Clearly, you do not. Are you planning to continue with this foolishness?"

"Nah, I was planning to perpetuate my foolishness until I expire, broski." You know you're just antagonising him, and you know he's probably not the best guy to piss off, but Tavros is still laughing and you're still a dumbass.

"I do not appreciate mockery," he replies through gritted teeth.

"I haven't the slightest notion what you're referring to, my good dude. Whatever mockery might you be referring to?" He scowls harshly, and you realise again that Equius is much taller and much stronger than you, and making fun of people to their face is a lot more dangerous than over messages—especially when you don't really know them. You should_ really _back off. "Is there a problem with my intellectual vernacular?"

"Enough!" he snaps with enough force that you feel like your heart stops.

You feel your entire body tense and tears of shock spring to your eyes. It's already much too late to hide your reaction, but you do your best to at least hide the tears—and quickly fail as they spill straight down over your cheeks. You're shaking. You hate that you're shaking. You'd really like to not be goddamn shaking right now.

A hand lands on your shoulder; strong, but gentle. Equius has moved down to kneel in front of you. You can't breathe. You can't hear either; all you hear is the blood rushing through your ears. He's saying something, but you can't read his lips.

You hear a whimper. Shit, did _you_ whimper? God, they must think you're pathetic.

Equius is still speaking. You can't concentrate on the words, but his tone is soft, so you try to focus on it as much as possible. Your eyes are flitting about every which way, but you try to hold them still on him.

Why did you have to be such a fuck up?

"Breathe." His words finally break through—well, his word. You manage to hang onto the rest of what he says though, as he guides you through a breathing exercise you wish you didn't need.

"I'm fine," you say when you're actually breathing again.

"No, you're, like, def- definitely having a p- having a panic attack," Tavros butts in. "That's the oppo- opposite of fine."

They both look concerned. So much for having an image.

"Could a dude having a panic attack do this?" You pull away and drag yourself to your feet, still shaky as fuck, but ultimately successfully.

"You are still crying," Equius points out.

"Irrelevant."

"You should rea- really just sit down for a while—" Tavros tries to start, but you cut him off.

"Nope, I'm fine and leaving, and that's that on that." You stumble as soon as you try to take a step. Walking while crying is difficult at the best of times; wearing shades in this lighting and shaking this much is making it damn near impossible.

Equius grabs your shoulder again—you didn't even hear him get up, how the fuck did he get there—to stop you. Or maybe catch you? You honestly can't tell how close you were to falling.

"Would you just sit down and allow me to apologise?"

"No! I'm not gonna let you fucking apologise for me being a dick and getting what I deserved and losing my shit over it. Yeah, maybe I am still crying a little bit, and yeah, maybe I'm about to fall over, but I'm _fine_, I don't want to talk about it. Can we just forget about this and go back to whatever the fuck is passing for normal right now?"

You have no idea how much of that was actually coherent, but you at least surprise Equius into letting go for long enough that you can dash out. Great! Now you've had a panic attack every day you've been here, and four people have seen you totally lose your cool.

For the next few hours, you just hide in your room. You don't want to risk making a fool of yourself again, so you just pass the time quietly rapping to yourself about… nothing, really. Even you don't understand the bullshit you're spewing this time. There's nothing else to do though, so you just keep going until your tablet pings.

\- tentacleTherapist [TT] began pestering Unnamed Group Chat –-

TT: I'm heading to the kitchen to begin preparing dinner. Come along if you wish, as usual.

TT: If you aren't helping out, dinner should be ready soon, so you should go to the dining room soon.

Great! Here you go, back into the world. And by world you mean a different room. Going back into the _actual_ world is starting to feel very far away.

… You're not even sure if you want to go back anymore.

Where the fuck did that come from? Of course you want to get out. Why wouldn't you?

…

You head for the dining room.

As you're walking, you run into Tavros and Equius again. They shoot you a loot you can't quite figure out, but don't say anything, which is perfectly fine by you. You slow down just enough to make sure they walk in first.

Jade's icebreakers are great, as usual, and arguing over Pokémon is a welcome distraction to the rest of your day. The whole affair passes with only a few threats being aimed at you, which is a shocking result considering the amount of shit that came out of your mouth—but when Vriska is trying to defend Araquanid of all things, you can't be too surprised.

After dinner has passed, you are once again in need of something to do. Luckily, the something finds you as you leave, in the form of Jade—not that you're going to do Jade. This train of thought took a weird turn.

"Hey Dave!" They smile brightly. You suppose they've forgotten about this morning… Or maybe they just don't care? Nah, probably forgot. "Do you want to hang out for a bit?"

You nod slightly. "Sure. Anywhere in particular?"

"Well, I was hoping to make hot chocolate, and the kitchen is really the only place to do that so… the kitchen!"

"Cool. I don't drink hot shit, but I'll tag along."

Jade smiles again and catches your hand to tug you along to the kitchen. It takes you by surprise, but you don't stop them; you don't want to seem like a dick. They start trotting around the kitchen as soon as you get there, gathering whatever they need. After a few seconds of silence, they start humming a sweet, lively tune. You don't want to interrupt, but you're a musician at heart, so once you get a feel for the rhythm you start beatboxing along. They catch your eye and smile as the two of you bounce it back and forth, building it up until you pretty much have the start of a song. You wish you had some way to note it down; this is a serious waste of good material.

Jade soon finishes making their hot chocolate, and has to stop to drink it. As they do, something occurs to you. You open up the fridge and pull out a full litre of apple juice. Hell. Fucking. Yes.

You crack it open, take a swig, then turn to Jade and say the first thing that comes to mind. Due to your extreme thoughtfulness and eloquence, this turns out to be, "So. Furries. Thoughts?"

They wrinkle their nose. "Ew, Dave! Gross."

"What do you have against furries?"

"No, not that!" They point to the bottle. "You! You're drinking straight from the bottle."

You tilt your head. "Uh. Yeah?"

"It's totally unhygienic."

"Only if someone drinks it after me. Which they won't."

"That's an entire litre of apple juice," they point out. You nod. "That's about the natural volume of your stomach, and we _just_ had dinner."

"That doesn't sound right, but I know exactly shit squat about stomachs, so I can't really dispute it."

"You're gonna hate yourself if you drink all that."

"Jokes on you, I'll hate myself more if I don't," you shoot back. "Anyway, stop dodging the question. Furries. Thoughts?"

They pick up their hot chocolate again and sip at it. "I wouldn't wear a fursuit myself, but I don't have anything against them. It's just some harmless fun, right?"

"Darn. I was hoping for some drama. Conflict. I forgot to factor in that you're nice. Now I feel like a fool."

Jade giggles. This conversation is going better than any other today, and thank god it is. You don't think you could've taken another mess.

"Well, you were a fool! There's at least three furries in here; I'm sure it would've snuck its way into conversation before now if anyone had a problem with it."

"Alright," you concede. "I guess you're right—wait. Three? Last I counted it was two. Nepeta, Equius… I guess you could count Feferi? But she seems more like a scalie—"

"You."

You freeze. "What?"

"You're the third furry." They look you dead in the eyes. Oh no.

"I'm not a furry."

"Why else would you ask what I thought about them?"

You hesitate a second too long and see their eyes twinkle. "Okay, I may not have a counter-argument, but I'm still not a furry."

"Do you have a fursona?" Shit. They've really got you there.

"It's ironic," you insist, but they snicker. "It's a kangaroo rat, how the hell could that ever be serious?"  
"And does this kangaroo rat have a name?" they smile slyly.

"… Akwete Purrmask."

"And a backstory?"

"So maybe I'm a little bit of a furry."

"I'm shocked," they laugh. "Are you drinking your apple juice or what?"

Finally, a break from the call out. "Of course I'm drinking my aj. This shit is the fucking bomb; like hell I'd let it go all lukewarm and nasty. Are you drinking your hot chocolate?"

Jade rolls their eyes, but goes back to sipping. Since you'd rather die than be reasonable, you start chugging the aj as fast as you can. Their eyes widen, and you can't tell if they're impressed or disgusted when you pull the now-empty bottle away from your mouth. They continue to stare, so you take a bow to make them laugh again.

"Very impressive. Are you sure that's safe?"

"I sure hope so, or else I should be dead _several_ times over. I'd be deader than a god damn doorknob. Just a little puddle of apple juice, flowing along into the drain. Drains lead to the ocean, right?" They nod, so you continue along this tangent. "Little puddle of apple juice floating around in the big ass fuckin' ocean. Probably getting drank up by some fish. Wait, do fish drink? They breathe water, right? So, it'd be kinda weird if drank it too. We don't drink air. Or do we? I guess we kinda do, actually. Hey, off topic, but how fucked up is it that we can't breathe underwater anymore? Evolution really dicked us over on that one And on everything else, really? We could've been fucking flying amphibians or something, but instead we're just these shitty featherless bipeds with backs and knees that don't work. Babies don't even _have_ knees!"

"They do have three hundred and five bones, though!" Jade chimes in. "That's much more than we have."

"What the fuck? We go about, live our lives, get shit done, and we only get two hundred and six bones, and those little bastards lay around and scream all day and they get _extra bones?_ Where do the bones go?" You stop suddenly and turn to them. "Jade. Jade, where do the bones go? What happened to my bones?"

"Ossification," they answer cheerfully. "Bones fuse together to get more solid and functional. It doesn't end until we're around 25, so we actually have more bones than our parents."

"Holy fuck, you're smart. So I _don't_ have two hundred and six bones?"

"No, you have a little more than that."

"Wild. I've always wanted to have more bones than my Bro." They snort as you flip through thoughts to find your next point of bullshit. "Are there dicks in bones?" Hold on. "No. Fuck. Other way around. Bones in dicks. Dicks in bones would be a whole different problem."

"No to both," they giggle. "Dicks are muscles, silly!"

"So why's it called a boner?" You know there's no bones in dicks, but you think this word is extremely stupid, and you're going to point it out in the dumbest way you can.

"Do you really want to know?"

You take a second to study their face, before deciding that they are dead serious. "I was kidding, but, shit, if you actually know then hell yeah, lay it on me. Give me the penis knowledge."

So, Jade gives you the penis knowledge. Shockingly, it ties right back into your evolution rant. You take the opportunity to spin it into an even longer spiel. With Jade's encouragement, you run your mouth for over two hours.

Eventually, though, their head starts to nod. It was only a matter of time before they got sick of you, you suppose.

"Hey, you okay there?" you ask, gently prodding their shoulder.

Their eyelids flutter a little as they answer, "Mhm, I'm just… I have narcolepsy."

"So… are you about to pass out or something…?" You feel like a douche asking, but you don't know how this shit works. Ask is all you can do.

"Not really… it's more like I'm slipping in and out of sleep, but not enough to collapse or anything. It's sorta hard to explain."

"Don't worry; you don't have to explain everything about it. Do you need to, like, go to bed?"

Their head bobs a couple more times. "Mm… yeah, I think I do. At least then I won't hurt myself if I fall asleep." Jade takes a step, and immediately sways, so you swoop in to support them. They give you a soft smile and lets you help them along to their room. When you've delivered them safely to their bed, you turn to leave, but they tug you back.

"Wait… we were having fun! I don't wanna stop just yet."

It takes you a second to respond, and when you do it's really not one of your brightest moments. "But… you're sleepy."

Jade shrugs. "I trust you to leave when I fall asleep!"

Your brain is short-circuiting. How can she trust you that much? You've known each other for like two days. You can't even imagine turning your back on any of these people, never mind sleeping in front of them.

"The door won't be locked though," you finally reply.

"Oh! I forgot they could do that, really… well, it hasn't been a problem so far, I doubt it would be now—"

"Wait, hold the fuck up. Do you mean you haven't been locking it?" You stare at them in disbelief, but they don't seem to

"It's not like anything happened, it's not a big deal—"

"Not a big deal? You could've gotten fucking murdered and you think that's not a big deal? Jade, what the _fuck."_ You're losing your mind here. They seriously could have died and they just aren't bothered? If your door had been open all night, you'd probably lock it and never open it again. "Now I'm absolutely not staying. I'm going to leave right now, and you're going to lock the door behind me, and you're going to go to sleep without the risk of getting murdered. Okay?"

You stare them down for a while before it occurs to you that they can't tell through the shades. They stubbornly stare back for a few seconds regardless, then sigh.

"Fine. I guess we can just keep talking tomorrow…"

"Hell yeah we can." You push a strand of hair that had fallen in front of their eyes back into place. "Now get up and lock the door before I have a panic attack for you."

And they do. You hear the lock click behind you, but anxiety still gnaws at your stomach until you turn back and try the door. It doesn't open. Obviously. You feel ridiculous for even trying, but this time when you leave you don't have to look back. Your tablet pings as you walk; you don't check it until you're safely inside your room with the door locked.

\- gardenGnostic [GG] began pestering turntechGodhead [TG] -

GG: i know how to lock a door dave!

GG: you dont need to check :(

TG: i know i was just making sure

TG: sorry

GG: its fine, just dont treat me like im dumb

GG: just cause i forgot i could lock it doesnt mean i cant do it

TG: i know i just

TG: ugh

TG: i was worried

TG: like ew emotions and i feel like a pussy for saying this

TG: but i deadass got scared when you said you hadnt been locking it

GG: dave…

GG: thats adorable

GG: you should show your feelings more often! its sweet

TG: no thanks lmao

TG: anyway night

GG: good night!

\- gardenGnostic [GG] ceased pestering turntechGodhead [TG] -

You feel like a massive tool for not just trusting them, but at least they forgave you for it. Typing that apology fucking sucked, but it's over!

It's still early, but the stress of everything has you feeling exhausted. So, you get ready for bed, and triple check the lock before curling up to attempt to get some shut eye. You know it won't come easy, so you start counting the seconds of silence, just like you do at home.

You've hit an astronomically high number by the time you get sick of it. You want some aj, but you already cleared out the fridge. Water will have to do.

It's late enough that everyone should be asleep already, but when you leave your room you see the kitchen light is still on, and you can hear voices. You almost turn back altogether, but you're really goddamn thirsty so you push through.

Eridan, Feferi and Sollux are all in the kitchen when you get there. They go silent when you enter.

"Am I… interrupting something...?" The tension in the room is palpable.

"Not at all," Feferi smiles. "Were you… looking for something, or…?"

"Just, uh. Just getting water."

Pouring that glass of water is possibly the most awkward you've felt in your entire life—and that's saying something. They're all definitely staring, and the tap sounds deafening in the silence. It also feels like it takes a ridiculously long time to pour. Finally, it's over. You walk out without saying goodbye, and you can hear them whispering behind you. Sollux definitely calls you a "thneaky bathdard", although you can't blame him. You weren't making a sound; you probably scared the living shit out of the lot of them when you showed up.

You get back to your room as fast as you can. Considering how much you've already drank tonight, the water should be more of a nuisance than anything else, but it does actually help a lot. You find yourself drifting off much fast than the past couple of nights.


	9. Breach Of Harmony

You don't believe in psychics, or fortune telling, or whatever the fuck, but you wake up with the district feeling that something is off. Nothing looks any different, and the day has barely started yet, so it seems seriously unlikely that anything _could_ be wrong. Though you can't deny that something just isn't sitting right with you, you push the feeling deep down inside you; there's plenty of other things to be concerning yourself with.

You tune out the blaring distraction of Caliborn's morning announcement and check the group chat.

… Huh. No new messages. Feferi must've slept through the announcement. Whatever; that gives you time to shower and get changed before she makes the morning plans. Maybe you'll be ready early enough to help out today.

You check your tablet again after getting ready. Still nothing. Just as you're thinking that _maybe_ you should be worried, a message appears.

—

\- tentacleTherapist [TT] began pestering Unnamed Group Chat -

TT: Has Feferi slept in? She's usually getting us all organised by now.

TT: I'm heading to the kitchen now, anyone who's planning to help can join me. Breakfast will probably be ready in about 20-30 minutes.

—

Alright! Everything's fine. Rose has the same suspicion you do; she's just slept in, the morning can progress exactly as normal. She'll be up soon. Or, at least, you think that until the next messages appear only a few seconds later.

—

-tentacleTherapist [TT] began pestering Unnamed Group Chat -

TT: Never mind. There is a significant problem with that plan.

GA: What Is The Issue

TT: Feferi is dead.

GA: Oh

GA: I Can See How That Would Be Problematic

Oh.

Oh no.

CG: WAIT HOLD UP WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN SHE'S DEAD?

TT: I mean she is no longer alive. Her corpse is right in front of me, on the floor, and her blood is all around the kitchen. It's quite sickening, actually.

AT: oH GOD,,,,,

AG: So, someone took the 88, huh? Wonder which one of you snapped.

CG: YOU SAY THAT AS IF YOU AREN'T ALSO A SUSPECT HERE.

AG: Well, *I* know I didn't do this. I don't have any proof of your innocence, shorty.

GA: Are We Sure It Was Any Of Us At All

GA: Perhaps Caliborn Is The One Behind It

TT: No. Him killing her defeats the purpose of our imprisonment entirely. Besides, he's only ever threatened us with a gun. Feferi's cause of death is decidedly not a gunshot.

CA: wwell wwhat is it then?

TT: If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say the killer just slammed her head into the counter until she stopped moving.

CG: WELL ISN'T THAT JUST ABSOLUTELY FUCKING DELIGHTFUL.

TT: I'm going to put bowls of cereal in the dining room. Please help me investigate after you've all eaten.

GA: I Will Assist You.

AA: i will help t00

—

The messages keep flooding in. You don't read them. The TV screen bursts to life again, but it's just the same information being told in a worse way. You do your best to ignore it.

After all your rationalisation, this was the reality that awaited you. Feferi is dead. Someone in this building killed her, and now you have to find out who without dying yourself.

You want to cry, but the tears just won't come. You can't accept this; it was only last night that Feferi was sitting with you in the dining room, telling you about her life. How can she be gone, only a few hours later? How the fuck are you supposed to accept that?

You're interrupted by a knock at your door. You scrub the beginnings of tears from your eyes before you open it.

Terezi leaps on you the moment you do. "Karkat! Dave's being a total buzzkill," xe whines. "He says I can't touch the body! How am I supposed to investigate without getting my hands dirty?"

Dave is behind her, and he looks exhausted. It seems this conversation has been going for a while already. It also seems he's a massive dick, because he immediately shoots finger guns at you, mutters "your problem now", and zips off down the corridor.

You'll deal with that fucker later. Terezi is still tugging on your arm.

"Karkat! Are you even listening? We need to go investigate, hurry up!"

"Fuck no!" You fix your sleeve and try to detach xem. "I'm not going anywhere fucking near her body, find someone else."

"Come on, wimp, you're already here and I forgot where the kitchen is; just help me! It's not like it's hard." Xe holds on adamantly, dragging you out the door with much more ease than should be possible.

"Fine," you say, "I'll take you to the kitchen. But I'm not sticking around."

"Boring," xe groans, but that answer seems to be good enough for xem.

Your heart feels like a stone in your chest as you guide Terezi along. You hesitate at the door-you really don't want to see this so early in the morning; or ever, actually-but Terezi has no such reservations. Xe pulls you straight through the doorway to be greeted with the sight of Feferi crumpled on the floor; covered in blood and so very, very dead.

You yank your arm away from Terezi and run to the nearest bathroom to throw up.

There was so much blood-too much blood- covering so many surfaces, and oh god, it was so bright. Isn't blood supposed to be dark when it dries? It was so stark against the tile, the counters, her skin— You vomit again, the image of her blood splashed over her face, and arms, and neck burned into your mind.

What's going to happen to her body? Will Caliborn remove it himself; clear her away like it never happened? Or will she be left to lie there until someone in the group moves her? Will the princess who worked so hard to keep you all together and alive ever be given a proper burial? Each thought only turns your stomach more, but you've already emptied it; there's nothing left to throw up. You dry heave pathetically until you can't even do that anymore, and scrub tears from your face.

Just when you're least ready for it, a tentative hand lands on your shoulder, accompanied by a concerned voice.

"Karkat? Whoa, are you okay?"

Oh, well that's just fantastic. John's here.

"Well, I'm in the middle of throwing up and crying, so I'd say I'm just fucking peachy." You intent the words to come out as a snarl, but your throat is so torn up from vomiting that it's more of a croak.

"Looks like you're actually finished throwing up to me," he remarks. "Do you want a hand cleaning up?"

His voice is practically dripping in pity, which only makes you want to yell at him—however, your voice is clearly not up to that, and your pride is already so shot that accepting his offer doesn't exactly do any harm. John helps you mop up the vomit that didn't make it into the toilet without a word of complaint, though you see his face wrinkle in disgust more than once. It's a fair reaction, so you don't call him out on it.

When the room is as clean as it's going to get, he helps you to stand and leave. Your legs are shaking, but you pull away from him as soon as you can.

"Are you going to help investigate the body?" he asks.

"I threw the fuck up last time I looked at it," you point out, "so let's go with absolutely fucking not."

"Well, if you don't wanna do that, Terezi said someone has to question people!"

"So, we're all just doing whatever xe says now?"

John starts to answer, but he's cut off by Terezi xemself, leaning out of the kitchen door. "Of course you are. As if anyone else has a plan? Make yourself useful and get to questioning so I don't have to. And John, get back here, I can't examine a corpse on my own." As quickly as xe had appeared, xe disappear back into the kitchen.

"There's no one around to question," you yell as John goes in to help xem. "Am I supposed to question the fucking walls? Ask for the floor's fucking alibi?"

"Go find them, dumbass!" xe screech back. "It's like I'm the only one here with a brain, I swear…"

You groan loud enough that xe definitely hears you, but you know xe have a point. Time to go question people… however you do that. But first, finding them. Where do people go when they've just found out a friend has been murdered? Clearly not to the body.

An exasperated sigh comes from the kitchen.

"You're just standing there, aren't you? They're probably in the rec room, now hurry up! We're on a time limit for some bullshit reason."

A time limit! Well isn't that utterly goddamn fucking delightful. Now with an added sense of urgency, you make your way to the rec room.

It becomes clear very quickly that everyone is an absolute mess—not that you're any exception. Rose is sitting in a corner with Kanaya and jade, repeating something over and over. Eridan and Sollux are sitting together, silently staring at the ground. They're leaning against each other; nothing like a dead mutual crush to bring people together, you guess. Everyone else is in various states of tears or blankness, except for Vriska, Tavros and Gamzee. Vriska, predictably, is being a piece of shit even in this situation and is prodding Tavros in the side repeatedly, chanting "Did ya kill her, did ya kill her, did ya kill her," in what has to be the most irritating sing-song voice you have ever heard. Tavros looks like he's on the verge of tears, while Gamzee just looks like he's strongly considering throwing her into a wall. You aren't sure who's more relatable. Regardless, it only makes sense to go to them first and intervene.

"Vriska, shut the fuck up. And by that I mean don't shut the fuck up at all, just stop doing that and start talking, because Terezi told me to question people and I don't actually know how to do that, so I'm just going to yell at you until you tell me something."

She rolls her eyes, but at least she stops terrorising poor Tavros. "Come on, Karkat, use your head. I know there's a brain in there somewhere! We are literally the only people who couldn't have done it. I can't use my dominant arm, Tavros can't even get through his damn door alone, and Gamzee is… Well." She snorts. "Just look at xem."

"But, you- you've been accusing me this whole time!" Tavros squeaks. "Wh- why do all that when y- when you already know I didn't?"

"Becaaaaaaaause, dumbass," she grins wickedly, "it's fun.

Gamzee face contorts and you jump in before xe can do something xe'll regret. "First of all, you're a bitch."

"Thank you."

"And second, the only person actually in the clear here is Tavros. You could just be left-handed and a fucking liar, and good luck getting "look at him" past Terezi." You don't suspect Gamzee in the slightest, but you seriously cannot take "look at him" as a serious defensive. Terezi would have a fit.

"I'm, uh, I'm a really light sleeper," Tavros says, "Gamzee couldn't have left with-without me knowing; I wake up when he- when he just rolls over."

"Yeah, I'll take that. Everyone except Vriska is now not suspected by me."

"Well this doesn't seem fair," Vriska complains. "What if I have some questions too? Like, for example, what's your alibi? You don't trust my—completely true, by the way—defence, but you haven't offered your own at all." She taps a finger to her temple in a very-obviously-practised manner before continuing, "Come to think of it, weren't you with Feferi last night? We all saw you stay behind with her, so don't even bother denying it. Seems like you're heaps more suspicious than I am!"

She has a point. Everyone knows you were with Feferi last night, but only you know that you weren't the last to see her.

"Yeah, I was with her, way to go, Vriska, for that epic deduction. But she went to deal with those two dipshits afterwards," you gesture to Eridan and Sollux, "so fuck you."

Vriska stares at you. "Let me get this straight. You knew who the people who likely saw her last were, and who found the body, and you decided to start questioning _us_? Do you realise how fucking dumb that is?"

"I started questioning you so you'd stop fucking torturing Tavros," you splutter, "and it worked, so fuck you."

She laughs, and leans down-across Tavros, which does not look comfortable for him at all-to look you in the eyes. "If I really wanted to torture him, you'd have to kill me to make me stop."

An uneasy chill sets over you. "Odd choice of words in a killing game."

Vriska winks slyly, as she stands up straight. You really wish she wasn't so much taller than you. "I'm going to go help Terezi. Maybe you should figure out how to actually question people while I'm gone-if you actually want to live, that is."

You stare after her for a few seconds, feeling a tremble go through you. By the time you look back to Tavros and Gamzee, they're talking about something else. They're clearly innocent anyway, and now busy, so it's about time you moved on. Eridan and Sollux are the most obvious choice… but that's what Vriska wanted you to do and you run on spite. You head for Rose, Jade and Kanaya instead.

Once you're within earshot, you finally hear what Rose has been repeating. "I'm fine," over and over, while Kanaya and Jade disagree. She doesn't look fine at all; her eyes are vacant, and she's looking straight through them. Nothing like her usual, watchful demeanour. You should probably treat the situation delicately.

"What are you dipshits doing?" Perfect.

"Karkat," Jade scolds. "Rose is already upset enough; be nice!"

Rose sighs. "I've told you repeatedly; I'm fine. Do you need something Karkat?"

"Terezi told me to question people, and you found the body so…" You trail off. Questioning people sucks actually. Feferi's dead, and you're just talking about her as if she wasn't a person.

Kanaya and Jade look like they're about to tell you to fuck off, but Rose answers before they say anything. "I'm afraid I can't think of anything that seems useful. I left rather quickly." She takes a pause, gazing just past you. "Oh, there was one thing actually. The blood was mostly concentrated near the body, but there was one stain on a separate counter; almost the other side of the room. I would think she was initially attacked over there, but there was no trail between the spots. I suppose it's possible that it just didn't drip."

You nod. "Thanks, Rose. That might end up being helpful. If that's everything then I should probably move on. Fucking time limit of indeterminate length and all that."

"That sounds wise." There's a sharpness to her words—it's pretty obvious that she wants you to leave Rose alone—but then she softens. "And rest if you have the time to. Terezi told us you weren't feeling well."

"Yeah, that's uh. That's one way to fucking put it." You shuffle awkwardly. "I'm gonna go."

The three give you smiles of varying sincerity, and you head over to talk to Eridan and Sollux. They watch you approach in a way that feels more than a little unnerving.

You decide to just get straight to the point; they know why you're here. "You two were the last to see Feferi, right?"

"Wrong." Sollux shifts. "ED went to bed a while before me and FF. I was the last to see her."

You blink. "Okay." How the fuck are you supposed to respond to that? He just made himself the prime suspect. "You realise that makes you like a million time more fucking suspicious, right?"

"What, like it'd have been better to hide it?" He has a point. Something like that coming out in the middle of the trial would be much worse.

"Yeah, okay, I guess. That makes sense. Now I guess I have to question you on what you and Feferi did last night?" Seriously, make it more obvious you have no idea what you're doing!

"Nothing much. We hung out in the kitchen for a few hours. ED left at like midnight because he was about to pass out," he pauses to snicker at Eridan, and gets a dirty look in return, "and I left at like two. FF wanted to finish her drink before going to bed, so she stayed behind."

"What, you didn't want to stick around for an extra two fucking minutes?"

He glares at you. "I'm already mad enough at myself for it. I was tired and she told me to just go; how was I supposed to know that would happen?" You almost feel guilty for upsetting him—but you can't afford to.

"And you didn't hear anything? Like any noise from anyone's bedroom?" He shakes his head. You turn to address Eridan instead. "You didn't see anything either?" He looks you in the eye for the first time that morning as he shakes his head. His eyes are red and puffy and you can't bring yourself to push him for information. Sollux said he was exhausted last night anyway.

You want to say something to comfort them both, but you don't know what you could possibly say. There's nothing that will make this better. You elect to give them a, hopefully reassuring, smile and tell them you're there if they need to talk and just leave them be.

No one else has a direct connection to the murder that you know of; although, since it happened at night you can't exactly write anyone off. Half of the people you're yet to talk to are in the room, but you aren't sure where Dave and Aradia are. And technically you haven't questioned John—or Terezi, for that matter. But it seems unlikely Terezi could have done it, considering you had to guide xem to the kitchen this morning, and presumably xe would have questioned John xemself. The point is, you're going to talk to Nepeta and Equius.

Nepeta is braiding Equius' hair in silence. Purrs face is furrowed into a frown, and you can't tell if it's from stress or concentration. Purr doesn't notice you approaching, but Equius does. They don't look happy to see you, but what's new?

"Hey. You two didn't happen to see anything last night, did you?"

Nepeta's head shoots up. "Karkitty! When did you get here? I thought you were throwing up."

"I've, uh. I've been here for a while now."

"Oh. I suppose I was… distracted. What did you say, Karkitty?" Purr puts on a smile that doesn't quite feel genuine. You don't want to upset purr, so you just repeat your question. "No, I didn't see anything… Equius?"

Equius' shades cover their eyes, but you still feel like they're staring into your soul as they shake their head.

You shift uncomfortably. "Alright then. This was fantastically fucking productive. Really glad we did this. Do either of you know where Dave and Aradia are?"

"They went to check for evidence in the bedrooms," Equius says. "They haven't been gone for long."

"Okay, thanks, I'm gonna leave now. Hope you two are like… doing okay." With that wonderfully smooth wish of good will, you make your exit.

With only two people left to question—if you can even call it that, considering how bad you are at it—you aren't too optimistic about finding out anything helpful. However, you were given a task and you intend to carry it out to the best of your ability. So, you go off on your epic quest down the hall and a little to the right.

Dave and Aradia are not hard to locate since they are literally the only people in the area. It seems they've just come out of Nepeta's room. Dave winces when he sees you; probably because he abandoned you with Terezi which he knows directly led to you throwing up and crying. You've now decided to entirely blame this on him, actually.

"Hey, fucknuts the clown. Hi Aradia."

"Hello, Karkat." Aradia smiles softly.

Dave groans. "C'mon, man, I didn't know you were gonna hurl. If I did, I would've given the investigation a twirl—whirl? Probably shouldn't rap my apology actually."

"That was supposed to be a fucking apology? Wow. Consider yourself so fucking forgiven right now. Anyway, since I obviously couldn't help Terezi with the corpse, xe told me to go question people. So here I am. To do that. This is an interrogation now, tell me things."

"We have found nothing of use," Aradia tells you. Her brow is pinched; it's the most emotion you've seen from her actually.

"Yeah, sorry dude. Wait a fucking second, never mind, I saw something last night." You wait for him to continue. He doesn't.

"Literally the one time I want you to keep talking, and it's the one time you shut the fuck up."

He turns his head back to you. "Oh, yeah, right, So, last night, at some dumbass o'clock that I'd usually be up way past anyway, but this whole being kidnapped this has kinda forced me into a healthier sleeping schedule—anyway, I was super fucking thirsty and I don't trust bathroom water and even if I did, I didn't have a glass so it wouldn't matter, so I went to the kitchen. I saw Fef, except all not dead and stuff obviously, and Sollux and Eridan. They didn't talk to me or anything, well, Fef did, but she was just asking why I was there. It was super awkward getting my water while they just stared at me. It felt like they should have been camping."

"What the fuck does that mean?"

"They were. They were in tents."

"This a murder investigation, dickwad." He mumbles "worth it", but you don't bother answering that. You finally have something to actually question. "What time did this happen?"

"Uh… I can't remember exactly, some time around one I'm pretty sure? It was definitely after twelve though." His face is blank, but there's caution in his voice. He must've figured out that this is important.

"Right." If he's right then Sollux is lying… but that's something better discussed when you have the two of them together. "Remind me what the two of you are doing here?"

"We are checking everyone's rooms for anything suspicious," Aradia explains, "such as bloodstained or damaged clothing. We did ask permission from all those we could before we began, but it's not like anyone could really say no without it being very suspicious."

You aren't really jazzed about the fact that they looked through your stuff. The pronoun shit got covered on day one, so it's like you're going to get hate crimed over it. Still not a great feeling though. You don't like getting outed. You're sure the others don't either, but at least they were warned.

"Kinda would've appreciated the warning anyway but whatever. Too late now. I'm gonna go report back to Terezi."

Aradia bids you farewell and heads into the next room, but Dave hangs back. You're about to tell him to get on with his fucking job, but he starts talking before you do.

"Hey, you looked kinda… mad that we looked at your stuff. I get it, I try to stay stealth too, I just wanted to, y'know. Say soz for that and let you know that we're not gonna say anything. Not that anyone would have a problem with it probably, but—"

"I'm gonna stop you right fucking there, assweed, and let you know that an apology really goes downhill when you say "soz". But whatever, I forgive you, it's not a massive deal, I just didn't expect it."

"Right, cool. I should catch up with Rads, catch ya later." And then he's gone. He's a lot fucking faster than he looks.

You remember the Sister mentioning the other day that you can add to notes to people yourself, so you go to do that before you can forget anything. Once your tablet turns on, however, it becomes clear that this won't be necessary. The previously-greyed-out "Truth Bullets" icon has been lit up, and has eight notifications. Weird name, helpful function; the Sister has been taking notes for you. You go through them to make sure that she hasn't missed any.

—

**Your account-** Saw Feferi going to meet up with Sollux and Eridan around 8pm. They had been arguing, but it didn't sound serious. She had stated that she likes spending time with them both and it's well known that they both like her.

**Sollux's account- **Was with Feferi until around 2am. Eridan was there until about midnight. Feferi had stayed to finish her drink after Sollux left. Says Eridan was exhausted when he left, so it's unlikely he would've still been awake when Feferi was killed.

**Dave's account-** He went to get a drink around 1am and saw Feferi with Eridan and Sollux in the kitchen. They seemed to be arguing when he arrived- but, more importantly, something does seem to be wrong with the timing there.

**Rose's account- **Was the first to find the body. Says that she didn't touch it or anything at the crime scene, but instead left the room immediately to inform the group chat. Insists she's fine, but she's either in shock or already knew what she'd find.

**Tavros and Gamzee-** Tavros is unable to leave his bedroom without assistance due to the size of his wheelchair versus the doorframe. He is also a very light sleeper, so would have woken up if Gamzee had left the room.

**Vriska- **Vriska doesn't have full use of her right arm, which is her dominant side. It's improbable that she would have had the strength to defeat Feferi if she fought back.

**Terezi-** Terezi is blind and has only been to the kitchen a few times. Because xe doesn't go there often and is rarely without someone else anyway, xe never learned how to get to and navigate around the kitchen alone. If xe had tried to kill Feferi, xe would've been easily evaded.

**Blood spatter- **All the blood except for one spatter is on a single counter: the one right beside Feferi's body. However, there is a single blood splatter a good distance from her.

—

Seems like everything is there. You wonder if everyone's tablet has been filled in with these; maybe you don't need to go back to Terezi at all! But xe has been investigating the body and scene… so even if the information is on xir tablet, xe probably hasn't seen it. Ugh. You should probably just go anyway.

As you approach the door, you feel your anxiety rising again. Shit, you really don't want to go through the whole vomiting thing again. You slow down, trying to get your breathing back to normal before you speak to anyone. With any luck it'll just be John that you speak to; you've ruined your reputation with him enough already, a little more can't hurt. But you never were very lucky.

You stand just outside the kitchen and reach in to knock rather than risk seeing the body again. It's Vriska that answers.

"Ugh, it's you," she sneers. You only have time to snarl "fuck you" before Terezi starts yelling from the other side of the room.

"Karkat, if you don't have good news, or at least just _some_ news when I get over there, I'm going to go apeshit. Give me a minute, and Vriska, get back here, I can't see what I'm doing."

With a pointed glare, Vriska stalks back into the kitchen to help Terezi with whatever she's doing. Finally, your luck shows up, far too late and having spilled its fucking Starbucks—meaning, John appears around the corner.

"Hi Karkat! Are you feeling better?" His smile is stretched just a little too wide to be real.

"I'm fine," you answer, "and as far as you're concerned, I was never not fine." If this keeps getting brought up, you're going to scream. You just want to pretend it never happened and move on. "Has Terezi found much on the body?"

"I dunno really… since Vriska got here, she's been a lot more useful than I have. I've kinda just been watching them and pretending I'm contributing."

"At least you're pretending. Half the assholes in this place are sitting around doing nothing."


	10. To Catch A Killer

Your group meets up with the others just outside the rec room. It feels like the walk is stretching out and condensing all at once; you've never been so stressed in your life and it shows. You end up walking beside Eridan and Sollux—the former of whom is stuffing something in a pocket. You think you see a glimpse of red? You can't _not_ question it, so you ask what it is.

"Tissue," he answers bluntly. "I get nosebleeds when I'm stressed."

The conversation ends more. There wasn't exactly much left to say.

Before you feel anyway near ready, you've arrived. There are sixteen podiums set up in a circle; fifteen are empty, while the last has a photo of Feferi on a stand. Upon closer inspection, each place has a name crudely carved into it. At least it will be easy to get into place—not that it ends up being difficult at all, since it's the same order as always. Once everyone is in place, the Brother jumps down off the stage and starts stalking around the room.

"Let's revise the rules. You have some time to discuss the murder. Make accusations. Cry, argue, whatever the fuck. I don't care what you do. When you stop being interesting, you'll vote on whodunnit. If you get it right, they die. If you get it wrong, everyone _but_ them dies, and the killer gets to leave."

"Just to be clear," Rose speaks up, "Feferi was definitely killed by one of us, correct? You and anybody you may be working with had nothing to do with this?"

"Duh," he answers. "Where's the fucking entertainment in me doing the killing? Unless you have more stupid things to say, it's time to get on with the trial." He glares around the group, silently daring someone to say something, but no one says a word. Finally, he storms back up to the stage and out of your thoughts.

Everything feels a whole lot more real standing in this circle, catching evasive eyes and with the constant presence of Feferi's frozen smile. You're all standing quite awkwardly: Nepeta doesn't seem to know where to put her hands; Dave's weight is constantly shifting, and you know he's holding back a whole tirade of bullshit; Sollux keeps messing with his hair. No one else knows what they're doing, so it falls to Terezi to take charge.

"In a normal trial," xe start, "we'd have; a judge and a jury; a defendant and defence; a victim and a prosecution; etc. But we have one of those things. Technically two, since that shithead is dolling out the sentence which I suppose makes him the judge. All of us are the jury right now, which is a shitty way to run things. We can't keep the guilty party in the jury."

Kanaya, who has been nodding along interjects, "So, we should establish those who cannot be guilty and allow them to form the jury?"

"Exactly."

Your time to shine, you suppose. "It couldn't have been you, Terezi, because you didn't know how to get to the kitchen alone. And it couldn't have been Tavros, since he can't get out of his room—plus, Gamzee would've woken Tavros up if he left. So that's three." Vriska fake coughs pointedly. Ugh. "Vriska too, I fucking guess. Her arm's useless, there's no way Feferi would've lost to her."

"Equius, can you vouch for that?" Terezi asks. Shit, you should've thought to do that.

They nod. "I can. Vriska had no hope of winning in a physical fight."

"Wow, way to put me down," Vriska whines. "And I gotta say, I'm not too impressed with the logic here. What if I'd taken her by surprise? We can't just take shit at face value here."

"You were literally with me when I said it would have taken several hits to kill her," Terezi says. "Taking her by surprise wouldn't have mattered when she fought back."

"Of course, _we_ know that. But no one else does, yet they all just accept my innocence that easily? Come on, idiots, critical thinking caps on."

"Can we move on? We don't have unlimited time here." Vriska doesn't answer, so xe continue. "We have a jury of four now. But we're also the prosecution, and also the defence, sometimes? This system is going to be weird and fucked up, but we're going with it. The important thing is that Vriska, Tavros, Gamzee and I are the jury, and anyone else who can prove their innocence can join us. Everyone got that?" Xe take a pause. "Good. The most important part of any investigation-slash-trial, is creating a timeline and filling in the gaps, so let's get started on that."

"We should start at dinner, probably," Dave chimes in. "That's the last time most of us saw her."

"If I remember correctly, Karkat stayed behind with her," Rose adds.

You knew this would be coming but, goddamn, you really fucking hate everyone thinking of you first—especially since you already know three other people to have seen her after that. "Yeah, we had a delightful fucking time. It was a beautiful bonding moment and we grew a million times closer, and then she died. I wasn't the last to see her."

"No need to get so defensive, Karkat." Vriska has a ruthless grin that she is not going to let this go well for you. "Seems like a pretty suspicious reaction, if you ask me."

"Well, no one fucking did," you retort. "I wasn't with her very long; we talked for a bit then she left to stop those two assholes arguing." You point to Eridan and Sollux. That reminds you; you can't forget to bring up what Dave said. But first, you're going to let the timeline form.

"Sollux, Eridan? Anything to say about that?" Terezi pushes.

Sollux sighs heavily and puts a hand up to mess with the back of his hair. "Yeah, she came to split us up then we hung out for the rest of the night. I was last to see her; ED went to bed a while before me."

"That's a pretty dumb thing to admit to," Vriska says, eyebrows raised.

"As I said to KK, it's not fucking ideal, but it's better for me to say it now rather than have it get figured out later."

People seem to agree. Good, you think. Surely no one would say that if they had something to hide.

"Karkat, when did Feferi leave the dining room?" Terezi asks.

"Uh, fuck." You rack your brain for a moment. "Just after eight, I think? It can't have been much later than that anyway." You see Eridan nod from across the circle.

"And where were you two?"

"The rec room," Sollux replies. "We went to the kitchen a couple hours later." Terezi prompts him again and he continues. "ED went to bed around midnight, I went to bed at two, and FF said she'd be going to bed after she finished her drink."

You stare at Dave, trying to see if he's picked up on the issue. He doesn't say anything, but you're sure his eyebrows are raised, and he's looking right back at you, so it's probably safe to assume he's noticed. Then, ever so slightly, he shakes his head. Fine. You'll keep your mouth shut for now.

"And you didn't see her again?"

"Obviously."

Terezi claps xir hands together excitedly. "Now that we have the timeline, we need our suspects."

"Hold on," Vriska interrupts. "We're just taking his word for it? No further investigation?"

"Only for now. We'll grill the shit out of him later; we just needed a timeline." Vriska sighs, but doesn't complain again. "Was anyone else sharing a room last night? We have to cut down the group at least a little."

Nepeta speaks up after a moment. "I couldn't sleep last night, so I was with Equius. Neither of us left the whole night."

"Great, you two are officially on the jury. Anyone else got an alibi?" There are intermittent mutterings through the group, but they all boil down to "no". "In that case, let's move on to talking about the victim."

"Is that really going to help?" You feel sick already. "We all kinda know what happened; are the gory details really necessary?"

"Yes," xe answer with a scowl. "I didn't sit touching gill corpse for fun and jokes. I did it for information. Can I share it, or are you gonna keep complaining?" You fall silent. Xe starts sharing. "Feferi's body was stiff, which means she was killed somewhere between two and five am. It's probably safe to assume closer to two."

"Hold up." Gamzee holds up a hand with a curious expression. "Why? Not doubtin' your deductions, I just don't get it."

You half expect Terezi to be mad at the interruption, but xe seems delighted to explain. "Well, the potential time of death matches Sollux's story. We have no reason to doubt him—yet—so it's only reasonable to follow that logic. Feferi was only finishing a drink, so gill wouldn't have been in the kitchen for much longer. We can't be totally sure—she could have gotten up again later on or something—but her being killed just after Sollux left is the most reasonable conclusion." Xe finishes with a grin, looking utterly in xir element.

"Great, so… how the fuck does that help?" you wonder aloud.

"I'm _getting_ to that!" xe scowls. "Now we need to work on the method. The method can lead to the motive; the motive can lead to the murderer."

Sollux's face screws up. "_How?_"

"Simple! If someone's been shot once, or only a couple times, or from a distance, then it's an impersonal killing. The killer doesn't care. Most likely a random victim. Anything involving a knife is almost immediately personal. If it's a single cut, maybe not. Blunt weapon usually means anger or panic. Something that happened in the heat of the moment, completely unplanned."

"… Great. So, what does that mean here?"

"Feferi was killed by hand. Someone needed her gone, and they made damn sure she was." Terezi grins and it sends a chill straight down your spine. "She had bruising, indicating a struggle. The injuries were all from different angles, and there was a fuck ton of blood around her. This did not go at all smoothly for our culprit, but they just kept beating."

There's a moment of silence as everyone takes in the reality of what Feferi went through in her final moments. When the moment stretches into several, you decide you have to speak up before the trial completely stalls and the Brother gets bored.

"Well, I'm mentally scarred for life. Can we go back to making actual progress so I can stop fucking thinking about that?"

Terezi nods. "Let's get started on questioning suspects. Anyone feel like volunteering?"

After a brief beat, Rose raises her hand. "I have nothing to hide, so I suppose I'll go first."

"Great! So, you discovered the body. You were alone, right?"

"Yes, I was."

"Would you describe your reaction to the body as typical?"

"I'm… I'm not sure how to answer that. I don't know what qualifies as "typical" in this situation."

"Was there any screaming involved? Crying, maybe?"

"Terezi, what exactly are you trying to imply?" Kanaya interrupts. "That because Rose didn't cry, she's somehow guilty?"

"The opposite, actually. Don't assume my process. Rose is very controlled; if she had started sobbing this morning, it would have likely been theatrical. So, Rose. Your reaction to the body?"

"It was rather upsetting, of course. But no, I didn't have a dramatic outburst."

"You don't sound very upset at all…" Nepeta murmurs sceptically.

Kanaya sighs harshly. "I think we can all agree that shock is a natural reaction. She found a dead body."

"Sure, it _seems_ reasonable," Vriska sneers, "but you can't prove that she was shocked. Maybe she's acting all weird and barely affected because she already knew what was in there."

"I hardly think that's fair—"

"No, no, she has a point. I understand that my behaviour is somewhat suspicious but—"

Vriska cuts her off with a laugh. "I wasn't done, actually. You spend more time in the kitchen than anyone else, and spent plenty of time with Feferi because of it. If you did it, it was definitely personal."

"Sure, we spent time together, but that doesn't mean anything. We were on perfectly good terms; I would have had no cause to kill her, never mind so violently."

"Yeah!" John pipes up. "Feferi and Rose really liked each other! Rose would never do something like that."

Equius clears his throat. "I would disagree. I have no doubt that Rose is capable of murder—" Several people start to protest, but she continues, "—but she would never use that method. Rose would have been far cleaner."

"I—" Rose half laughs. "I'd like to think I wouldn't kill anyone—I certainly don't plan to anyway—but they have a point. I wouldn't be that messy about it."

The others from the kitchen group nod and mutter general agreements. With no motive and a bad match-up on the method, you think it's about time the group laid off of Rose. All she did was find the body anyway.

"Couldn't we rule out some people just for a lack of evidence?" John says suddenly. "Like… Jade, or Aradia, people like that. A lot of us don't have much of a connection to the murder! It seems silly to suspect _everyone_."

Terezi considers this for a moment. "Yeah, I guess. We won't rule them out completely, but they can definitely be lower priority."

"So, we should probably put together an official suspect list, right?" Jade muses.

"Well, I still say Rose is on it. She found the body; we have to keep suspecting her a little bit," Vriska says.

"Sollux and Eridan were closest to Feferi and also the last two to see her, so they should definitely be on the fucking suspect list," you add.

"I think you're pretty damn suspicious, Karkat," Vriska jabs. "Randomly hanging out with Feferi the night before she died, getting _so_ defensive over everything, and that reaction to the body; like jeez, make it more obvious."

"I know that I'm innocent, and I don't give a shit what you say. Put me on the list if you want; I'm just going to get taken off when we find the actual killer. Anyway, to get back to things that actually fucking matter, everyone else has no connection to crime." Dave's face flickers ever so slightly. "What? What the fuck is it? What is wrong with my statement, you douche shitting fuckbag?"

"Nothing. I just kinda expected you to put me on the list." You stare at him in confusion. "Because of the thing? The thing that we're not saying yet because it's a secret tool that will help us later?"

"Oh. Wait, why the fuck would that make you suspicious? If anything, I'm completely convinced you _didn't_ do it because of the thing."

"What thing?" Terezi interjects.

"Not important yet. We'll tell you later."

"Remember the thing I was saying just before we left?" you supply. "That thing."

"Oh! So, we'll go with the usual order for questioning? That means Sollux is up first. Anything to say before we start?"

"Nope. Go ahead." Sollux crosses his arms. You wish you could see his eyes—it'd be so much easier to figure out what he's thinking—but they're hidden behind those ridiculous duo-coloured glasses. You don't know why he lied, but you do know that this will be your perfect chance to catch him out.

"Alright. You met up with Feferi at what time?"

"Just after eight. KK already told you that."

"I know! The point is checking that your times match." Xe scowls. "God. It's like you've never been questioned in a murder inquiry before."

"Gee, I wonder why…" buzz mutters as xe goes on.

"Back to the point. When did the three of you leave the rec room?"

He thinks for a moment. "I don't know. Like ten, eleven? We weren't really paying attention to the time. I really don't see the significance though. We already know she was killed in the kitchen."

"It's about story consistency! Seriously, have none of you ever watched a police movie?" Xe shakes xir head. "General incompetence aside, let's get on with this. Why did you go to the kitchen?"

"FF wanted a snack. We decided to stay in the kitchen 'cause it was more convenient."

"It was more convenient to have no seats?"

"It was more convenient to be near food and drink. We were all fine with standing or sitting on counters." He shifts and adjusts his glasses.

"And between eight and two, Eridan and Feferi were the only people you spoke to?"

"Yeah."

Nope. You look to Dave, but he shakes his head ever so slightly. It's killing you to keep quiet about this, but fine. You'll hold off. Dave probably has a plan. At least, you fucking hope he does.

Terezi presses on. "Why did Feferi come to see you in the first place?"

"We asked her to. We needed her to settle an argument—and before you ask, I don't remember what it was about. Something dumb."

"So, you were in a bad mood when Feferi got there?"

Sollux starts fussing with his hair again. "Not particularly. I was kinda riled up, but arguing with ED isn't exactly anything new."

"You seem pretty chummy this morning."

"Losing a mutual friend will do that to people."

This really doesn't seem to be going anywhere. If Dave would just—nope. Shaking his head again. He has to let you say it at _some_ point.

"You deny that you had anything to do with Feferi's death?"

"Why would I hurt her? In case you somehow missed it, I had a massive crush on her."

Terezi's grin returns, brighter than ever. "You're dodging the question."

"I didn't kill Feferi. That direct enough for you?" he sighs.

Xe gives a neutral noise of acknowledge. "Noted. Karkat, you're next."

"Fine. Ask away."

"I'm gonna preface this by saying that you obviously didn't kill her. You're five foot tall and I could probably throw you. You're a witness, not a suspect."

"Hold on—" Vriska objects, but Terezi cuts her off.

"Vriska. Who's the expert? Hm?" After forcing her to begrudgingly admit that Terezi, in fact, is the expert here, xe continues. "Thank you. Anyway. You stayed with her after dinner; what were you two talking about?"

"A bunch of stuff. Mostly how shitty this whole situation is." You think back to last night. If you'd known it would be your last conversation, you would have tried to remember it more at the time. "She talked about how she was feeling a lot. And we talked about Eridan and Sollux for a while."

That catches her interest. "What did she say about them?"

"Well…" The girl's_ dead._ You don't want to tell Eridan that she was complaining about him last time you saw her. But you can't _not_ say it either. Fuck. "She said that having them around helped… and that she wished they wouldn't fight so much."

"Karkat. Murder inquiry. Full honesty."

"Ugh, fine. She said that Eridan was really clingy and that having them around helped because they were "entertaining"; I didn't really know how to take that part." Eridan flinches. Great. "She said it was probably just because he was stressed though. It didn't seem like she was holding it against him, she was just venting."

Terezi nods thoughtfully. "And how did Feferi say she was feeling?"

"Stressed out of her fucking mind. She'd been kidnapped before, but this was just weird as shit, and she was… she was really scared. She said that she knew we all needed someone to hold us together and that she was doing it because she was used to it, but she was fucking terrified of failing us."

Total silence follows when you stop talking. Everyone looks sick to their stomach, except Terezi. This is all just more evidence to xem. Then you meet Sollux's eyes and you start to feel properly sick again. He looks entirely unaffected—which surely could just be the shock, you try to reason. Nonetheless, you suddenly want to be anywhere but next to him.

"Is that all that was discussed?" Terezi's words cut off your thoughts before you can spiral any further, reminding you with a jolt that you're safe here. No one would dare do anything in front of everyone.

"Well, we also talked about Mike the headless chicken, but I don't think that's at all relevant to a fucking murder trial."

"It certainly is not, but I'm going to need you to tell me about that later. To return to the point; did she seem like she was considering killing anybody?"

Before you can answer—hell, before xe even finish the question—there's a clamour of protests.

"Feferi wouldn't do something like that!" Nepeta cries.

Eridan scoffs indignantly. "What exactly are you tryin' to say, 'Rezi?"

Terezi throws her hands up. "Chill! Jeez. It's just a possibility; we can't take chances with all our lives on the line."

"But Fef wouldn't—" Eridan tries to protest.

"Are you certain?" Aradia chimes in somewhat unexpectedly. "I don't believe she did anything, but it seems irresponsible to write it off entirely. You never really know what's going on in someone's head."

"Okay, sure," Sollux says, "we can't be _sure_ she wasn't hiding things. But do you really think we would've missed her planning a murder?"

"We _did_ miss that," Rose points out. "Whether it was Feferi or not is irrelevant; someone planned a murder in front of us, and we didn't notice."

"No, I don't think so," you interrupt. "If that murder was planned at all, it would've had to have been Feferi who planned it. If she did, then clearly the plan backfired really fucking badly, but whoever killed her could _not_ have planned it. Or at least not planned it well."

"Completely right, Karkat," Terezi says gleefully. "This murder absolutely happened in the heat of the moment. Whether or not it was self-defence is more debateable. As a side-note, I didn't think Feferi did anything either; I just said that to rile you all up a little. But now I'm intrigued why Karkat didn't disagree."

Judgemental eyes turn on you. "Feferi said some… kinda fucking concerning things last night. But, no, I don't think she would've attacked someone. She just seemed… desperate. And scared. If anything, it sounded more like she was going to hurt herself, not any of us."

"What makes you say that?"

"Even when she was saying it might be better to die sooner rather than later, she never even mentioned thinking about killing someone. She was spilling her fucking guts, I'm sure she would have phrased it differently."

"Hm. Weak evidence, but with the character witnesses… we'll accept it for now. Time to move on, unless anyone else has a question for him?"

"Yeah, I've got a question." Vriska narrows her eyes. "What's the "thing"?"

"You'll find out when we fucking want you to."

"Hiding things in a trial hardly seems like innocent behaviour, just sayin'!"

"Vriska, just leave it," Terezi groans. "They'll have to tell us soon enough, and I trust that he knows what he's doing." With no small amount of grumbling, Vriska complies; shutting up and allowing Terezi to continue. "So, Eridan. You were the second last to see Feferi."

"Mhm." He turns in place to look directly at Terezi—but you get the distinct feeling it's more to avoid looking at anyone else.

"Can you repeat the timeline of events for us?"

"If I must…" He starts listing everything out, no change from anything said before, though he doesn't look happy about. It does get really fucking tedious to hear this over and over again, so you can't really blame him.

"We all knew how you felt about Feferi, and how Sollux felt too. Weren't you concerned about leaving them together?"

"Well, yeah, a course I was. But I was tired, I didn't really have a choice." His expression changes to his oh-so familiar huffy face. "It's not like I _wanted_ him to have an opening, but I needed to sleep."

"For someone who was so wiped by midnight, you didn't seem tired at all at dinner," Terezi challenges.

"There's a fair few fuckin' hours between those things, 'Rezi. 'Sides, I usually go to sleep really early. Midnight is late for me."

Terezi considers this for a moment. "Alright. What were you three talking about all night?"

"Family, our lives before this shit. Private stuff." He's clearly not going to be forthcoming with any details, so Terezi moves on.

"What kind of mood was Sollux in when you left?"

"Same mood as always; grumpy an' annoyin'." Terezi barely opens xir mouth for the next question before he answers it, "They'd never hurt her."

Xe nods, then pauses, xir brow furrowing. "I don't think there's much to else to ask. Anyone else want to say anything?"

You look to Dave again and this time when he meets your stare, he gives you a nod. Fucking _finally_.

"Can you repeat the time you left? Just one more time."

Eridan looks confused, but nonetheless, "Midnight."

"Liar," Dave drawls far too casually.

Out of the corner of your eye, you see the colour drain from Sollux's face. Eridan freezes and he trips over his words before finally getting out, "Wha— What are you talking about?"

"I was in the kitchen at one am."

His eyes go wide in panic, and he opens his mouth to defend himself—but Vriska speaks first.

"Can he do that? Like, just lie the whole trial and then suddenly have new evidence? I don't buy it."

"First off, didn't lie, I just didn't say shit. Second, police can lie in an interrogation, so I figure we're good. And third, Karkat and Aradia already knew about it, so boom, not new evidence, just new evidence to most of you."

Vriska glares and scoffs, but Terezi beams. "As long as Karkat and Aradia confirm his story hasn't changed, it's allowed." And, of course, you both confirm it. Xir grin grows. "Eridan? Got anything to say about that?"

"Well…" He wrings his scarf in his hands. "We were tired. We must've just read the time wrong."

Rose speaks up, "You say "we", but Sollux was up for hours after you. He can't have been very tired at that point."

"Sollux was the one who gave the time in the first place," you say. "Eridan barely talked when I was questioning them; all the times came from Sollux."

Everyone's attention turns to Sollux, who has apparently regained composure when you weren't looking. He shrugs calmly. "Guess I got it wrong."

"I fail to see how you could have gotten the time wrong by such a wide margin. It just seems unrealistic." Rose cocks an eyebrow and looks him up and down. "What are you hiding?"

"Maybe we should give him the benefit of the doubt…" Aradia murmurs.

You turn to her. "What the fuck? You literally _just_ confirmed Dave's story with me."

"And I still believe him. But people are still capable of mistakes, and I trust Sollux."

"A mistake that Eridan agreed with, and that our whole timeline was falsely based on, and that could have completely fucked up the whole goddamn investigation if we hadn't known he was lying? If he was lying about that time, then he was probably lying about other things too!"

"No, I agree with Aradia!" Of course, John agrees with Aradia. "People make mistakes."

"I hate to disagree," Jade says, "but I just don't get how he could've been so far off without doing it on purpose!"

"It doesn't make sense," Kanaya agrees. "It's far more likely that he's hiding something."

"But pe- people just fuh- just fuck up sometimes," Tavros protests.

The arguments only build from there—voices over voices over voices—until it becomes near impossible to make anything out, especially over your own shouts. It's a complete fucking mess, until Terezi puts a stop to it.

"Shut _up_! Yelling over each other isn't going to get us anywhere." Xe waits for all of you to quieten down. "Everyone who believes Sollux made a mistake, raise your hand. Karkat, give me a list of them."

Hands shoot up around the circle. You start at the most obvious place. "Aradia, Tavros, Sollux, Nepeta, Gamzee, Eridan, John."

"So, you, Kanaya, myself, Vriska, Equius, Rose, Dave and Jade think he's full of shit?" You confirm, and xe turns to the Brother. "Can we move from these podiums? It'll keep things "interesting" since you're so obsessed with that."

"I don't give a shit," he answers. "Just hurry up. This is fucking boring."

"Everyone who trusts Sollux, go stand with Aradia. The rest of you come here."

It takes a minute for everyone to get into place, but soon you're all ready. It's an even split—or, at least, as even as it can be with an odd number.

"The rules are simple," Terezi starts. "Back and forth debate, one statement per person. Got it? Good. Who wants to start?"

Sollux half-raises his hand. "Sure, I'll bite. Why would I lie?"

"To cover something up," Rose answers. "What, exactly, you are hiding is yet to be confirmed, but you're clearly trying to stop us from solving this, for whatever reason."

"If he was coverin' somethin' up, wouldn't he have made sure he couldn't be caught? Sayin' somethin' blatantly wrong only makes sense as a mistake," Eridan argues.

Vriska laughs. "Oh, he made a mistake alright. But the mistake wasn't forgetting the time; it was forgetting the witness. There is no way to unintentionally screw the time up that badly."

"Sollux had nothing to gain from lying. Even if it were a lie, Eridan is more likely to be the liar—it is concerning him after all," Aradia points out.

"I questioned them together, and it was Sollux who gave me the times," you shoot back. "Eridan barely spoke. it's only since Terezi accused Feferi that he's started speaking up at all."

John looks half desperate for a new point. You can't think of much he could say either—the other side's argument is steadily falling apart. "What if it's Dave who's wrong about the time? We shouldn't just assume that Sollux is the one who's wrong!"

"The tablets use a twenty-four-hour clock," Dave retorts. "Don't know about you, but I think I'd have to be completely fucking wasted before I started misreading zero-one as twenty-three—fuck, I couldn't even mistake it for zero-zero."

Nepeta's face lights up. "_You_ might have been sure of the time, but Sollux wasn't! He was talking to people, so he wouldn't have been checking his tablet; it's totally understandable for him to be wrong in that case!"

"Except for the clock in the kitchen. Analog may be easier to misread, but only an idiot would be off by two hours," Terezi replies.

Sollux freezes. "How do you know about the clock?"

"It's the loudest fucking thing I've ever heard and I was in a room with it all morning. And well done, genius; you just admitted you know about the clock. I think we're done here." Xe takes a sarcastic bow—if that's even a thing that can exist—and motions for you all to get back to your places.

No one argues with xem. Those who had been supporting Sollux look torn, like they're still trying to believe him against all hope—all except for Eridan.

Terezi launches straight back into things, xir tone leaving no room for disagreement. "I think it's pretty clear that we're down to two suspects after that debacle. Sollux and Eridan have been manipulating the timeline, in a way that makes Sollux seem the most suspicious. This leaves us with two possibilities; one, Sollux actually _is_ guilty, and they're trying to use reverse psychology, or two, which I find much more likely, Eridan is the killer and Sollux is lying to protect him. Am I right?"

The silence that follows is so thick you would struggle to cut it. It stretches on far too long to be considered at all innocent, and you're starting to feel extremely unsafe by the time it ends. Eridan takes a shaky breath, and Sollux… laughs?

His laugh is harsh, like nothing you've ever heard, and it sends a chill straight down your spine. You thought you were scared before? You're utterly shitting yourself now. As you stare at him, you see Tavros wheel back slightly.

Finally, he stops, and he starts talking. It's not much of an improvement. "No, Terezi. You aren't right. Good try, though."

"Well then," xe stands up straighter, with a satisfied smirk, "please, enlighten us."

Eridan, who you had half forgotten about while focusing on Sollux, speaks up. "Sol, stop it. Don't—"

"I killed Feferi," Sollux says, somehow emotionless and talking right over his protests.

Terezi ignores him completely, turning all xir attention on Eridan. "You seem pretty against this confession." Impossibly, xe's still smiling.

"Obviously I'm against it, he didn't do it!" Eridan cries.

"Eridan, shut up," Sollux hisses.

"No, keep fucking talking," Vriska cuts in. "Keep talking immediately."

"Dani, don't you dare." Sollux's blank tone is gone, replaced with only desperation. "Just shut up, _please_."

Your eyes flicker between the two of them, watching as they argue almost silently; half-whispers, gentle pleas, begging expressions. A constant back and forth of "don't"s, and "I have to"s, "please don't do this" and "we don't have a choice". Your fear has melted away along with their subtlety, leaving only concern for your friends and a heavy feeling in your heart at what they've done. And what they have done is awful—but Sollux is still who you sat and laughed with after your first dinner here. Eridan is still the guy who's lap you were sitting in only yesterday, messing around like you weren't in constant mortal danger. They're your _friends_. And they look fucking terrified.

Eventually, Eridan raises his voice and brings Sollux to silence. He tries to speak up again, but Eridan shushes him. "It's over, Sol. You tried, but I can't let you do this."

"Can't let him do what?" Kanaya asks as gently as she can considering… well. Everything.

"Sacrifice everyone. Sacrifice himself." He seems to care a whole lot more about the latter if his tone is any indication. He holds his head high as he turns to Terezi. "He didn't kill Fef. I did."

Kanaya speaks before Terezi does. "He was planning to let us all die?"

The two of them shift. "Well…" Eridan starts, "yeah, I guess. But he isn't thinkin' straight; what with losin' Fef, and he's probably got a concussion too…"

"Oh," Aradia says, much too calmly for these circumstances, "that explains why your scarf was in his room."

"That's why his fucking what was fucking where? You didn't think to mention this before?" You look between Aradia and Dave, but quickly realise that Dave is as confused as everyone else.

"When the fuck did we find that?"

She shrugs. "I didn't mention it. It didn't seem relevant."

"You found his scarf—which he never takes off—in someone's else's room and that didn't seem fucking _relevant_ to you?!" Is this what losing your mind feels like? "In what shitfucking universe is that not _relevant_?"

A rare smiles races across her face. "I just assumed they had been hooking up." She says it completely nonchalantly, either not noticing or not caring that everyone starts spluttering incoherently, or that Sollux and Eridan are flushing bright red. "Or maybe that he had stolen it to annoy him."

"Hey, while that's, like, really fucking funny or whatever," Vriska jumps in loudly, "could we just back the fuck up for a minute? Why does Sollux have a concussion, and why would that make it okay for him to try _murder_ us all? Also, which one of you is lying, and why are you even trying anymore? You've already lost."

"I don't have a concussion," Sollux insists, "ED's just lying."

And then everything goes to shit again. Everyone talks over everyone else, but the loudest are Eridan, Sollux, Kanaya, and Vriska. You try your best to actually listen to whatever you can catch.

"One of them is trying to kill us all, and the other is already a murderer," you hear Kanaya say, "we shouldn't be trusting either of them."

Sollux's voice takes over. "I did it. This conversation is redundant—"

Eridan. "Stop, Sol, we can't do this anymore—"

Kanaya. "We aren't safe with either of them around, can't we blame them both—"

Vriska. "—absolute _clusterfuck_, it's like none of you have had a damn conversation before—"

"—would you idiots just li_th_en—"

"—don't know why anyone would believe-_"

"—fucking stories straight—"

"—just getting worse for both of you—"

"God, would you all just be fucking _quiet?"_ you yell, hitting your utter limit with this shit. Your normal volume is already loud enough, but this shout goes above everything else and brings the room to silence immediately. "Fucking finally," you add, dropping back down to your regular level of only-kinda-shouting. "Terezi, none of us godforsaken bitchshitting morons have any idea what we're doing. Please, for the love of fuck, take over."

Xe grins and launches back into the spotlight like it was made for xem. "False confessions are easier to deal with than you'd think. We just have to keep pushing 'til one story cracks—and I can already see a gaping hole in one of them."

Sollux opens their mouth but you cut in before any words come out. "Nope! Shut up, Terezi talking time. Speak when spoken to, motherfucker, not a second before. We are _not_ having another pointless yelling match."

"Thank you, Karkat! Now, who wants to try convince us first?" In a surprise twist that literally everyone saw coming, they volunteer simultaneously, shooting each other glares. Terezi isn't perturbed, and simply pulls something out of xir pocket. "Heads or tails, Sollux?"

"We're flipping a fucking coin for this?"

"Yes. Heads or tails?"

For a moment he just stares at xem, but then he sighs and gives in. "Whatever. Heads. No, Tails."

Terezi flips the coin up in a perfectly practised motion, catching it with ease and putting it straight back in xir pocket. "You start."

"You didn't even check it though."

"Sollux, I'm fucking blind. Did you kill Feferi?"

He hesitates for a while. "God fucking dammit, Terezi, what was even the point? Anyway… yes. I killed her."

"Okay. Why?"

"I wanted to." Then a look crosses his face that you can only describe as sheer "oh shit" as he realises just how stupid a motive that would be. He tries to amend it, adding, "I wanted to go home, and she was an easy target." It doesn't help.

Terezi snorts. "So, you killed Feferi and left Eridan alive. Wouldn't it make more sense to get rid of the witness?"

"Figured I could get away with it easier if I made him vouch for me. Didn't expect it to backfire this spectacularly."

Eridan groans. "Sol, stop. Terezi doesn't believe you. _No one_ believes you. Please… just give up."

Despite Eridan being so obviously right, Sollux looks around the group, searching for anyone that might still not trust him—but there's no one. Everyone is staring either him or Eridan down, but you can see in their eyes that they all know the truth, just like you do. Most of them look upset, or scared, but Kanaya just looks furious, and Rose, Terezi and Vriska look like they're preparing to rip them both to shreds. You look up to Sollux just as his glance around has his eyes land on you. He looks desperate.

You shake your head.

He sighs, and admits defeat.

It's still not over. Terezi claps xir hands together, shattering the brief silence after Sollux's surrender. "Now that we've broken Sollux, Eridan, care to give us the real story? Why did you kill her?"

Eridan straightens up. "I thought I had to."

"Because?" Terezi presses.

"Because it makes sense to get rid of the witnesses." Eridan manages to look xem in the eyes when he speaks, but that doesn't mean so much when xe can't look back. "Not that I actually did that, but… I tried."

"What, exactly, the _fuuuuuuuck_ does that mean?" Vriska groans. "Enough with the bullshitting and the smokescreens, just say what happened! Do we even need to do all this questioning bullshit anymore? Like, we know he did it, so why keep pussyfooting around?"

Terezi "hm"s for a moment before xir devilish grin resumes. "Yeah, I guess so. Karkat, it'll probably be funnier if you say it, so go on."

You were not prepared for attention. "What?"

"I said, go on. Or do you not get it yet? I thought you'd be smart enough to figure this out," xe frowns.

"No, I get it," you defend, "I just didn't—never mind. Sure, I'll try put it all together." You aren't lying—you do get it… mostly—but you nevertheless have to take a moment. Most of the details are still murky, but based on the vague bullshit Eridan said and what you know about who he and Sollux behave, you think you can get the gist pretty easily. "Sollux, Eridan and Feferi were hanging out in the kitchen. Sollux and Eridan were arguing, but I guess not constantly since Feferi would have left their asses if they were annoying her. Sometime around one, Dave showed up for whatever fucking reason—"

"I was thirsty."

"Fantastic. Thank you for that incredible contribution, Strider, you've pulled it all together. Story over, that's all we needed to fucking hear. Anyway, he shows up and then leaves, and that's only important because it means they were all still there. Wait, were they arguing at that point?"

Dave scoffs. "Have you already forgotten my pun?"

"Shit, you're right. How could I ever forget the stupidest goddamned thing I've ever heard?" Back to the point, Vantas. "So, they were fighting again at one, and probably not long after that the argument got physical and Eridan…" Hm. What did Eridan do? Sollux raises his hand to the back of his head again, wincing ever so slightly. You think back, and a thought hits you. Eridan said he had a nosebleed, but there was nothing suggesting that, other than that bloody tissue… and right on cue, Sollux's hand comes back down, with a slight red mark. "I haven't figured out how, but Eridan hit Sollux's head off the counter. That's why he's bleeding, and that's why there was a separate mark."

"I'm not bleeding—" he tries to deny, but you have literally caught him red-handed.

"Yes, you are, there is very fucking obviously blood on your hand, fuckass. Eridan hit Sollux's head off the counter—"

"Objection," Rose interjects, "for the sake of covering everything. Eridan is significantly smaller than Sollux. How would he do something like that?"

"I don't know, he's a fucking beanpole; he probably just toppled him like a Jenga tower." She nods in acceptance. Now you have to figure out the rest of it. "Sollux just passes the fuck out, I guess, and Eridan thinks he's killed him. Now Feferi's a witness, so he had to take her out. He must've been jam-fucking-packed with adrenaline though, because she could absolutely have beat him in a regular fight. And after that… I don't fucking know. He must've stayed there 'til Sollux got back up, and then, for whatever fucking reason he could possibly have, Sollux decided to help him. They made a cover story, but because Sollux probably does have a concussion and Eridan was probably panicking, they forgot about Dave. Aradia said Eridan's scarf was in Sollux's room, so I guess they spent the night together? And that raises a whole pile of questions I don't even want to ask. There's really only one question that fucking matters though." You turn to Sollux, but he won't meet your eyes. "Why did you help him?"

The room is quiet as you all wait for his reply. After a few seconds, you try to follow his line of vision—and those fucking glasses don't make it easy—and find that he's looking at Eridan to avoid looking at you.

"I didn't want everyone to suffer." He finally looks over to meet your eyes. "It destroyed me to see FF dead, and I knew that if it happened once, it'd happen again. I didn't want everyone to have to go through this, and keep going through this. Because we will. This isn't going to stop."

You hold eye contact, though it is getting very difficult very quickly. "So, you decided you'd rather we all fucking died?"

"Not the most understandable conclusion, I guess. But we're probably all going to die anyway, and I'd rather we all went out at once than have to do this shit over and over. I'm probably just being selfish, though, and dragging everyone down with me."

As he talks, his eyes drift away from you and back to Eridan. The gentleness in his eyes slides the last piece into place for you.

"I think," you say as softly as you can, "you just didn't want to see him die."

Sollux lets out a shuddering sigh, and you realise with horror that he's holding back tears. "Yeah, probably."

A choked sob comes from Eridan, dragging everyone's attention to the awful reality that is now staring you all in the face. He's going to die. The Brother will probably make you all watch. You'll probably be to busy having a panic attack to even notice when it happens.

Vriska breaks the ensuing unbearable silence after only a few seconds. "So, like… What happens now?"

"I don't know. This isn't a typical trial. I'm not sure where we go from here." Terezi crosses xir arms.

You all look to the Brother in your uncertainty. Surely it can't all be over already… but he greets you with a wicked smile.

"Time for last words. Hope you didn't have much to say! I won't give you long." He laughs gratingly. You can't imagine how he could be so cruel.

Eridan sobs again and before you even register it, Sollux is gone; shooting around the circle like a bullet to him. You feel like you should say something—or, at least, someone should—to help them, or comfort them, but what can you say? Instead, you just watch them slowly drop to the ground, arms wrapped around each other like they'd rather die than let go—maybe not the best comparison, actually.

You can hear Eridan crying into Sollux's shoulder. It's becoming increasingly uncomfortable to watch, but you can't pull your eyes away. You don't think anyone else can either. It doesn't help that your position gives you a near-perfect view of them clinging to each other. Sollux is stroking his hair impossibly gently, and you can see that buzzes whispering something to him, though you can't hear what. Through thick sobs, Eridan is repeating that he doesn't want to die. You didn't expect to feel so sad at finding the killer.

Something about seeing them together feels right, though, in some twisted way. You feel awful for even thinking that, but it just feels correct for them to be holding each other right now, going through this together. It's going to end soon, you know that. The Brother won't grant them much more time. This moment is going to end, and his life will follow. You aren't ready. You aren't ready, you aren't, you aren't—

A gloved hand squeezes yours. There's only one person it can be, but you glance up anyway and see Nepeta watching you cautiously. You force an "I'm fine" smile, but you aren't and purr knows it. She looks as sick as you feel. You squeeze purrs hand back and look back to the scene.

Eridan takes a few gasping breaths until his tears subside, finally looking up to address you all. "I'm sorry," he says, his voice trembling. "I never wanted this."

Aradia is the only one who finds a way to respond. "We know," she says simply. "It was an awful accident. We don't blame you."

"You don't speak for me," Vriska snaps. For a horrible moment you think she's really going to be so heartless as to leave it there, but she softens at his wounded expression. "I don't blame you either, I don't even give a shit really, but she doesn't speak for me."

Eridan manages a weak smile as everyone starts adding in their own support, either vocally or by nodding along to other's statements. You notice Kanaya does neither, but she's obviously not trying to draw attention to it, so you just ignore her. When you chime in that you "Can't hate him for just being a fucking idiot," you score a small laugh.

"I'll pray for you," Tavros adds as everyone fades out. "If that won't—uh—make you uncomfortable or—"

"Thank you, Tav," he answers, "but Fef deserves it more."

"I th-think I can squeeze you both— b-both in."

He manages another smile but the tears quickly spring back to his eyes until Sollux re-tightens their grip on him.

Then the Brother's feet hit the ground.

The sound echoes around the hall menacingly. "Enough! No more of these obscene affections; it's punishment time!" The little bastard actually looks excited about this.

Sollux holds onto Eridan tighter, like he's going to be snatched right out of his arms. Fuck, maybe he is. You have no idea what's going to happen, but you're sure you'll hate it. That is almost immediately proved right.

The Brother moves over to Eridan faster than expected. Your vision is half-obscured by the podiums, but you see his arm move and then your eyes slam shut as Eridan screams. You can't look. You can't. God, you feel like you're going to throw up again.

You have to look. You take a deep breath, force the sick feeling down, and force your eyes to open. At first, you're confused—it looks like all he has done is put a cuff around Eridan's wrist, albeit a rather thick and tight one—but then the blood starts leaking down over his wrist.

Sollux gasps Eridan's name as the Brother roughly pulls the two apart. He looks like he's frozen to the spot and you can't blame him.

The other cuff—you don't know what else you could call them—is slammed around his other wrist, blood now pouring down both of his wrists. Eridan goes limp as the Brother drags him, sobbing in agony. Your fight-or-flight is kicking in and you're half-way to convincing yourself that fighting could work when Nepeta gives your hand another squeeze. You'd almost forgotten purr was holding onto you at all. You look to her and she nods over at the stage. Confused, you follow where she's looking and holy shit there's people behind the curtains. Friends or foes, you don't know yet, but they certainly don't look friendly.

You count them quickly; fourteen men, in matching clothes but differing hats. Their outfits match the Brother's. The brief flicker of hope you had felt fizzles away.

One of them moves out of the shadows and grabs Eridan by the scarf. With the help of this honestly fucking massive stranger, the Brother gets him up onto the stage. As he does, you hear a mechanical whirring—a pulley system. The object on the pulley falls into view. A noose.

The noose comes into view at the same time as a tall, slim woman; the only one of the group. She takes place centre stage and you realise with another jolt of fear and nausea what's going to happen. You really might throw up again.

As gruesome as it is, you can't tear your eyes away. You can't make them close. You're stuck, watching in terror as your friend is lifted up into the noose, which hangs only just too high for him to touch the ground. Though the tears have continued to stream down his face, he looks almost resigned. Still, his body is thrashing as the strangers let him drop, the rope tightening around his neck.

It feels like he struggles for eternity but, in reality, it doesn't even take thirty seconds before he's dead. His body is still swaying silently, while the woman stands behind. The Brother is grinning up at it, happier than you've ever seen him. Finally, you can look away.

Even Vriska looks disturbed. Nepeta is squeezing your hand tight, like her life depends on it. The display has you all utterly frozen, until Sollux moves.

He exhales, shakily but forcefully, scrubs the tears from his eyes, readjusts his glasses and stands up surprisingly steadily.

"Can we leave now?" His voice comes out smoother than you would've expected.

The Brother waves dismissively. "Sure. I don't fucking care. I got my fix."

Sollux heads straight for the door. His façade is already dropping; you can see him holding back more tears as he walks past, not looking at anyone.

**Follow him?  
Selection: Yes.**

You start walking. He needs comfort, and honestly? You do too.

Being over a foot shorter than him makes it difficult to catch up, but you get to him before he's out of the room. He glances down and for a moment you think he might tell you to fuck off—but he just smiles. A forced, clearly fake smile, but a smile. Without thinking, you take his hand. You probably should have asked first, but he holds on tight.

As soon as the door to that hellish hall swings shut behind you, he starts trembling. He's clearly trying so hard to hold it together, and it breaks your fucking heart.

"Hey, it's… it's okay to cry. That shit was fucking awful, and you've been going through it all day. You gotta let it out."

Sollux sniffs. "Not where they might hear me." He barely whispers, but the corridors are so eerily silent that he might as well have yelled.

You nod, trying to seem as understanding as you can. You're about to ask if he wants you to stay or if he's rather be alone, but he starts tugging you along with him. That's that answered, you supposed. He goes straight into his room; kicking the door open half-heartedly, stumbling in with you in tow—oh, look, there's the scarf Aradia mentioned— and kicking it closed again before freezing.

"I'm sorry. Dragging you in here was probably really fucking creepy, you don't have to stay—"

You cut him off there. "Hey, shut up. I came to you, remember? You're upset, I came to comfort you."

He hesitates. "You're aware I literally tried to kill everyone, right?"

"Yeah. But…" But you trust him anyway. Your head feels fuzzy for a moment. Why should you trust him? He's done nothing to earn it. Even so… "But I get it? I guess? I mean, I would never fucking do that, and it was the worst decision you could have possibly made, but… I don't know. I feel like I can't be mad about it because I just… get it." You were planning to waffle on some more, maybe sound like more of an idiot, but as soon as you stop talking, Sollux breaks down.

He latches onto you, sobs racking his whole body. You stumble back a little; light as he may be, he's still way too fucking tall to be leaning on you like that. After a second near-tumble, you come to the conclusion that this is not worth falling on your ass and carefully guide him over to the bed. No, you don't think for even a second about how that could be interpreted—but, luckily for you, neither does he.

You hold him close and just let him cry. The time goes by without him letting up, and a few times in there you start to cry too. It's been a really fucking long day. You started off just sitting beside each other, but somewhere in the… minutes? Hours? You really did lose track of time there. Somewhere in that time, Sollux ended up lying down and you ended up on top of him, your head now resting in the crook of his neck. He has his arms around your waist, and you're pretty sure he's stopped crying now. It's peaceful, and honestly really nice to be cuddled after all that shit, but considering how short a time you've known each other, you feel very strange about being this comfortable around him.

A knock at the door interrupts absolutely nothing. Sollux calls out something that can only be called words with a particularly generous definition. With you head pointed directly down into the bed, you don't see the door opening. What you don't expect is to also not hear the door, nor hear the person walking in, so it scares the living shit out of you when Aradia starts talking from right beside you.

"I thought it was only polite to bring you two some food, since you weren't around to get it yourself. I gathered neither of you were checking your handbooks." She sets a plate down on the bedside table. "I hope you don't mind that I brought my own too. The atmosphere out there is… contentious."

Sollux lets go of you, and you wriggle up so he can move. God, Aradia must be making a lot of assumptions after seeing that.

"That's fine, AA. How bad is it?" He pulls buzzself up to sit against the headboard.

Aradia sits on the side of the bed and tilts her head before she answers. "Kanaya is the worst of them at the moment. Most others are willing to accept that you weren't in your right mind, but not her. Vriska claims to agree with her, but I think she's mostly just trying to stir up trouble. It's quite a mess honestly; everyone is tired and upset, and most haven't eaten all day."

"Kanaya's right to be mad."

"No, she isn't," you start. You don't get to continue.

Sollux grabs one of the sandwiches Aradia brought and tears into it. "Yeah, she is. Everyone should be a lot madder. I fucked up, to the worst degree."

"Her anger isn't unfounded, but I do think she's taking things too far." She smooths her skirt, although it's already perfectly near. "Still, it should blow over by morning."

The conversation falls flat as the two finish their sandwiches. Yours sits alone on the plate; you can't find it in yourself to eat.

Aradia looks over at it a few moments later. "Are you not going to eat, Karkat?"

"I'm not really hungry." You know you should be, but eating is the farthest thing from your mind. You can't put up with the thought of vomiting again today.

"Are you sure?" Sollux raises an eyebrow. "You haven't eaten today."

"I know, I just can't stomach anything after today's bullshit. I'd rather not throw up again, y'know?"

You could swear he flinches before he nods. "If you say so." Buzz shifts for a moment, before excusing himself and leaving you with Aradia as he goes into the bathroom.

You hadn't really noticed until that moment that you haven't spoken to Aradia very much. Like, at all. You know next to nothing about her. This could be very awkward. You scour your brain for something to say, but she gives you a reprieve by speaking first.

"Has Sollux been okay?"

You have to think for a moment. Obviously, he's not _okay_, but who are you to say how he's actually doing? "He seems like he's coping better than I would be," you say eventually.

She nods. "I hope he's alright. Now, more than ever, we have to be united." Aradia glances down at you. "It's our best chance of escaping."

You nod back decisively. "Everything should be totally fine, if we just stick together and don't be fucking stupid again. There's no reason for this to happen again."

Aradia hums softly. "Actually, I think it most likely will. That's why it's so important for us to decide who we can trust now and stick with them."

You think that means she trusts you? And you think you trust her too… for some reason. You trust far too many of these people based on exactly nothing.

The screen bursts to life with the Brother's stupid face and scratchy voice not a second later. It then occurs to you that he's probably about to provide a reason and it might be a good idea to think about the things you say next time.

"Okay, boys and bitches. You managed to kill off two people. This is an improvement! But it is also not good enough." He pauses to laugh, then cuts himself off. Then he starts to laugh again, but slightly differently. And then he does it again. It sounds like he's trying to mimic a cartoon villain, but he could not be more hilariously shitty at it. He stops and starts his laugh twice more before he seems satisfied. "It's too late to continue tonight. But tomorrow, you fuckers better be ready! Because I'm going to fuck up your lives. Even more than I already have!" You flinch as Sollux drops back onto the bed behind you. You hadn't heard him coming out of the bathroom. "Sweet dreams. Hope you live to see the morning. Just kidding! I really don't." He lets out another stupendously dumb laugh before the screen blips out. It's replaced with the default time display and you finally realise quite how long this day has been going on. It seems to have flown by and dragged itself out simultaneously, and somehow that has led you to 8pm; already night time by the Brother's standards.

"So," you start awkwardly. "It's getting kinda later. We should probably go."

"Yes, I think it's about time we were on our way," Aradia agrees.

Sollux shrugs. "If you say so. But ED probably had a point with the concussion thing, so I'm probably gonna stay up just in case. You two can stick around if you want."

"I appreciate the offer, but I'm going to go. Good night." She rises, taking the plate before she leaves. You both bid her farewell as she leaves without making a sound.

And so, the two of you are alone once again. Just after the door shuts, he turns to you.

"What about you?"

**Stay or Go?  
Selection: Stay**

"I'll stick around. Don't want you just sitting alone staring at the fucking wall or something all night, that'd be really fucking depressing." You pause for a second, assessing the situation. Maybe you should just… open up a little? Sollux isn't judgy, and Aradia did say now is the best time to be forging connections. Fuck it. "And also, maybe, I just don't really want to be alone right now."

"Aww," he reaches over and pokes your cheek, "you're a scaredy cat." He gasps, the pun hitting him right away. Goddammit, you thought you got rid of that nickname when you stopped being afraid of the dark. Well… pretended to stop being afraid of the dark. It still creeps you out.

"Don't say it."

"Scaredy-kat." Ah, that infuriating extra emphasis on "kat". How you haven't missed it.

"God fucking dammit."

"What? It's adorable." He smirks at you. Now, that's just not fair. Why does he get to be tall _and_ have a cute smirk? Leave some good traits for everyone else, asshole.

"It's humiliating. I'm already tiny and queer, I don't need more bulliable traits."

"I don't think that's a word."

"It is, I've had this argument before, fuck you." Thank god for stupid 3am arguments with Kankri.

"Sounds fake, but I trust you, I guess. Seriously though… thanks for staying. I'd be bored out of my mind on my own, and," he looks almost shy as he finishes, "maybe I just don't really want to be alone right now either."

Oh fuck, this has gotten pretty soft and feelings-y much quicker than you could have prepared for. What the fuck do you say? Shit. You panic.

"Ha, nerd."

Spectacular. Not even _close_ to a reasonable reaction. It truly is incredible how much you fuck everything up. Sollux seems unbothered by your idiocy, however, and laughs it off.

"Is that really how you deal with emotional vulnerability?" he asks, once he's done laughing at you.

"Shut up!" you groan, tugging your jumper up over your neck as if it can hide your shame. For once, you miss your stupid turtleneck hand-me-downs from Kankri. "I just didn't expect it, I'm a fucking idiot."

"Dude, stop freaking out, it's fine."

"I called you a nerd because there was an emotion in the room."

"Exactly. It was fucking hilarious." He reaches out and wraps his arm around you. Had you been prepared; this would have been fine. Good, even. But you weren't prepared, and, more importantly, you're an idiot, so you fall directly backwards into him, much more dramatically than necessary. He catches you, laughing his ass off, and helps you right yourself. "How the fuck have you managed to make it this far like this?"

"Fuck if I know. How've you made it this far without cracking your skull on a doorframe, tall ass?"

"Well, actually," he snorts. "I haven't." You turn to him incredulously, and he lifts his fringe to reveal a scar going straight across his forehead. "No idea how it managed to cut me, but it hurt like a bitch."

"Yikes. The only scar I have came from my cat." You wince as you recall the incident… but now that you think about it, it was really your own fault.

"You have a cat?"

"Had. He disappeared a while ago." Immediately, he looks panicked, so you quickly clarify; "Like, years ago. This isn't a recent wound; I'm not going to start sobbing over my cat. He was kinda an asshole anyway."

He relaxes a little, though not fully. "Sorry anyway. How'd he scar you?"

"I was a dumbass and tried to lift him when he didn't want me to. Violent little shit looked like he was going to kill me." Ah. A wise thing to say in a killing game.

"Death by cat would be a pretty sick way to go out though, let's be honest."

You agree, but can't think of much else to say after that. Silence sets in, but at least it's a pretty comfortable one. You have your usual deep-rooted want to fill the silence regardless, but Sollux seems content to just exist with you for a while. Or so you think, until a few minutes later when he breaks.

"Right, this is just as boring as being alone. We have got to talk about something before I claw my eyes out from sheer desperation for entertainment."

"In what fuckshitting universe is clawing your eyes out entertaining? And, honestly, I have no fucking idea what to talk about." You pull yourself back up to sit properly as you speak. "I've been trying to think of shit this whole time."

"What do people normally do at sleepovers?"

The idea of referring to this as a sleepover is just too funny not to snort at, but you do answer to him too. "I don't know. I never went to one."

"Wait, seriously?" He turns to you. "Like, not even as a kid?"

"Nope." This is just sad, actually. "I don't have any friends to have one with." Okay, cool, make it sadder. That's great.

"Fuck, that's depressing. I feel bad now."

"Okay, don't start with the pitying shit, it'll just make this weird. How about, instead of doing that, we do literally anything else?"

Sollux nods. "Yeah. Wanna just do the most basic cringey shit we can think of?"

"First thing I think of under that description is truth or dare."

"Same, actually." He squirms upright and sits facing you. "Alright, let's go. Truth or dare?"

You hesitate for a moment. For a simple choice in an ultimately stupid game, it feels awfully stressful. "Truth."

"Are you scared of death?"

"Jesus fucking Christ."

So, it's going to be that kind of truth or dare. Not that you have much experience with _any_ type of truth or dare, but still.

"Answer the question, KK."

"Yeah, okay, sure, I guess I am? Like, a lot, now that I think about it actually. Death is a terrifying concept and honestly, I've had quite enough of it today to last me the rest of my life. Truth or dare?"

"Truth." He doesn't have anywhere near the same degree of hesitation as you did.

You try to think of something more light-hearted than his question. Come on, think, the bar really is not that fucking high.

"Was Aradia right?"

If you weren't stuck in this place, you'd be heading out to a field right now to fucking bury yourself for that. What the fuck is wrong with you?

He freezes. "… About what?"

"Her assumption. When she found the scarf. Really regretting this question already, you don't need to answer it, that was a really fucking weird thing to ask—"

"No. She wasn't." But he doesn't meet your eyes. You still wish you hadn't asked… but dammit, now you're intrigued.

"… But _something_ happened?" you guess.

He scoffs. "You asked your question, you got your answer, we're moving on now. Truth or dare?"

That's fair. It's not really any of your business, even if you are now really curious about it. "Dare."

"Shit, I don't have any dare ideas. Fuck."

"This shithole doesn't really give us much to work with," you agree. "Truth then." You get the feeling that this is just going to devolve into asking each other increasingly dumb questions pretty quickly, and you are soon proven right. However, you prove at the same time that dumb questions are funny as shit.

In no time at all, they turn downright ridiculous. You're asking each other things like "If you could make any animal horse-sized, what would you choose?" (he said bees) and "What's the most obscure fact you know? (you said pteronophobia is the fear of feathers and being tickled by them). Despite knowing there's not much point in it, you keep asking "Truth or dare" every time, just to keep it feeling like a game. It's probably the most infantile game you've ever played, but you keep reaching for the next level of stupidity for hours. It's not until hours later, a while after 2am, that you check the time. It sure does fly when you're talking about dumb shit.

"Okay, uhh…" You've been running out of questions. Since you went to sleep pretty early the past few nights, staying up so late has you fucking wiped. "If you could get one feature from a fantasy creature what would you take?" Kinda shit, but eh. It'll do.

"Ability to cast spells like a DnD wizard, specifically for magic missile."

"I meant like a fucking… physical thing, but sure."

"Oh. Fangs, then. Or horns maybe?"

You open your mouth to respond but all that comes out is a yawn.

"Hey, KK." His volume has dropped slightly. "I dare you to come over here."

You furrow your brow. "Bit fucking creepy. Also, you didn't even ask if I wanted a truth or a dare?"

"Because you would have said truth. Just come here."

You can't really see the point in this—you're only at the other side of the bed—but you figure it can't really do much harm, so you might as well do it. Obediently, you shuffle up the bed towards him. Once you're within reach, he takes hold of you softly and tugs you down onto him.

"Can I ask what the fuck this is about?" You're confused, but also… really comfortable… _really _comfortable… Shit, you're about to fall asleep on him—both in the sense of abandoning your commitment to stay with him all night and in the literal sense of currently being on him.

"You're tired." He starts playing with your hair, his nimble fingers deftly twisting in your curls. "You can sleep, you know. You didn't have to stay in the first place, you've done enough."

Don't fall asleep on him. Don't do it.

"'m not tired," you protest. "I said I'd stay with you."

Sollux shushes you. "I'm gonna turn the light off. Give me a sec."

He moves out from under you with ease. The light going off does not help your exhaustion problem. Neither does Sollux crawling back into bed, repositioning you, and resuming messing with your hair. You are so determined to not fall asleep right now.

Yeah, there was pretty much no way you weren't going to fall asleep on him.


	11. The Death Of Beauty

Your name is Eridan Ampora. You have been kidnapped for several days, it's two in the morning, and all you can think about is how much you want to punch Sollux Captor.

Since being captured and held here, you have been told that the only way out is through murder, and while you have no intention of doing that, he is really fucking pushing you here. Honestly, he cannot believe these things. He just thinks it's funny to annoy you, clearly.

"Look, I'm not trying to start this shit up again," he says, "I'm just saying that leaving it alone for a few hours doesn't change the math. I'm still right. This is just how statistics work, okay?"

"No not fucking okay! It doesn't make any sense." You two have been arguing over this for far too long. You thought it was over when you brought Feferi in to settle it—around four hours ago now—but here you are, still arguing over shitty hypothetical gameshow doors.

Sollux's rebuttal is stopped in its tracks when Dave appears in the door. You didn't hear him coming—were you really arguing that loud?

"Am I… interrupting something…?" he asks awkwardly.

Feferi puts on a polite smile. "Not at all. Were you… looking for something or…?"

"Just, uh. Just getting water."

You all stay silent as he pours his water. You try not to stare, knowing he probably hates this as much as you do, but there just isn't much else to look at. Finally, he leaves, giving you an awkward smile as he passes. You smile back a second too late.

"Sneaky bastard," Sollux mutters. "Where the fuck did he even come from? Anyway, you're still wrong."

And back to arguing.

"It makes no sense!" You hiss. "The odds can't change mid-game, that's bullshit."

"They do though." It's like he _wants_ you to punch him.

"Same doors, same stats. How stupid are you?" Feferi is probably sick to death of hearing you two, but you can't just let this go, you can't just let him win.

"I'm not stupid, Eridan, I'm literally considered a genius. And that's why I know just how wrong you are." There's more than a pinch of malice in his words. You can't be wrong; this makes no fucking sense. Statistics are fucking stupid at the best of times. He straightens out of his slouch and glares down at you. It's a challenge, you know it is. It's also a massive mistake—but not as big as the one you're about to make.

You step forward and shove him as hard as you can. He has well over half a foot on you, but he's light and uncoordinated, and he tumbles straight back. His head smacks off the counter as he falls, and all you can think is "shit" as you reach out to stop him far too late.

Feferi gasps behind you. You whirl around. Fuck. You have to fix this. How are you supposed to fix this? Terror flickers over her eyes, but as your eyes meet hers it shifts to anger. The only one still scared is you.

You don't register her moving, and you don't register yourself moving either. Adrenaline floods your veins, and your thought process goes straight to shit, along with impulse control and basic human decency, as she rushes towards you.

She moves first. You block her harshly and unskilfully in your panic. If she was planning to counter, she never gets the chance. With no clue what you're doing, you grab her, harder than necessary, and hit her head off of the counter. She makes a choked noise, half-way to a scream, struggling against your grip. You don't let up. You slam her down again. Again. Again. Again.

You don't know how many times you do it. Eventually, you let go, and she drops to the floor. Blood is dripping from the counter, pooling around her head, spreading into a puddle that seeps into her dress and wets her hair. It's a gruesomely transfixing sight.

What the fuck have you done?

You've killed them both. You're going to be caught and killed, and if you aren't, you'll do it yourself. God, you are so fucked.

You stumble back until your back hits the wall and slide down the floor. You have killed two people. This is going to be the last night of your life, and you know it. This is going to be the last night of your life, and you're going to spend it surrounded by the sins that will kill you.

Your certainty can't override your emotions. It doesn't take long for the grief and regret to hit you full force and leave you burying your face in your hands, sobbing your eyes out. You miss your brother. You miss your dad. Fuck, you miss your mum, and you haven't even thought about her in months now. At least you'll be with her soon. You'll never see Cronus again, never see that movie he was so excited about, never hear him talk on and on about his car again, never help him paint his nails to impress someone again. You'll never get another hug from your dad, never come home to find tea and a cookie on the table because he always just knew when it had been a bad day. Oh, what you'd do to be able to walk back into your house after a bad school day…

You don't know how long you cry. At least an hour, you think. You probably would have continued all night if something across the room didn't catch your eye. Sollux moves.

You freeze instinctively, tears streaming down your face, as he oh-so-slowly sits up; blinking, rubbing his eyes, and wincing as the pain hits him. His hand goes to the wound on his head, and comes back covered in blood. He doesn't seem to have noticed you cowering against the wall, or even Feferi's body—oh, never mind. He has certainly noticed that one now.

"FF…?" He moves over to her, half slipping in the puddle of blood. "Fuck… I was kinda asking for that, but her…?" He cautiously feels around her forehead and his expression darkens. You let out a terrified sob, and catch his attention.

You remember a romance novel you read years ago that said some infinites are larger than other infinities. You never did get that; but you think you do now. These moments of staring at Sollux feel like the longest of your life. An infinity passes in only a few seconds.

"Hey." His voice is soft, careful. You can't believe he's talking at all.

Your words stick in your throat. "I'm sorry," you finally force out. "I didn't—" You swallow thickly. "I didn't mean to…"

The tears rise up again, and you clench your eyes shut. You're certain he's going to kill you—why wouldn't he? —and you don't want to see it coming. But all you feel is a gentle hand against your cheek.

"Hey, it's… It's okay."

You look up at him. He's still bleeding. Feferi's corpse is on the ground behind him. How could anything possibly be okay? You have ruined everything.

And yet… he's alive.

There's no hope of the same for Feferi, you know that. You killed her. There will be no miracle saving you from this. But Sollux is alive. And that's something. That's one less death on your hands. Not that that changes anything for you; you'll be executed for one death just as much as you would've two. But at least you can die with slightly less blood on your hands.

You're so busy thinking to yourself that you stopped paying attention to Sollux. He has settled just in front of you, lowering himself to eye level. "Come on. We can't change the past, but we can do something about the future." You look at him, completely lost. "Get up. You're not gonna help yourself just sitting there. You need to get cleaned up and get some sleep or else it's gonna be really fucking obvious that you did this."

You hesitate. "What are you sayin'?"

"I'm saying that I'm going to help you, idiot. Now, come on." He holds out his hand. Do you take it? Oh, who are you kidding, you don't have a choice. You take his hand and you both help each other stand up. Sollux's legs tremble, and every time he falters you feel another jolt of guilt.

He heads straight for the sink, while you still stand half frozen. He seems so calm. How can be so calm right now? The first-aid kit is still right at the front of the cabinet from this morning, so he finds it easily and starts fumbling through it. After a moment, he calls you over to help. Together, you get his head all wrapped up. To you, the bandage makes it look so much worse. He still doesn't seem bothered.

The cleaning up process goes by in a hazy blur. You and Sollux clean up the blood that you had been tracking over the floor, but don't touch the puddle around Feferi. There's too much to even consider it; you only focus on the footprints. When it's done, he takes your hand to lead you along to the bedrooms.

You open your door on autopilot. It isn't until you're staring into the barren room, tauntingly different from your room at home, that you realise how desperately you don't want to be alone.

Sollux turns to you, about to speak, but before you even stop to think you throw your arms around him and cling on.

"Please don't go," you whimper. You sound fucking pathetic, and you know it, but you can't do anything about that.

His arms come up around you. "Of course not," he murmurs back, pulling you against him. You let your head rest against his shoulder as he holds you tight. He keeps holding you for a few more moments, before he lets you go. You have to restrain yourself from clinging on like a child.

"Take a shower and get changed. You're still covered in blood." He carefully wipes a drop from your cheek.

You nod, and do as he says. When you're finished, you put your binder back on. There's already too much on your mind to put up with dysphoria. Even being alone for a few minutes is enough to tip you towards a breakdown, so you move as fast as you can. You walk out to find Sollux has pulled out clothes for tomorrow and gathered your pillows.

"Come on," he says, reaching for your hand. "I can't sleep unless I'm in my own room."

You take his hand, and walk together. You don't think about how you're going to avoid being seen leaving his room in the morning. Actually, you completely avoid thinking about that. Lalalalala, not thinking about it!

Sollux goes to shower, as you sit gingerly on the side of his bed. You can't tell if he gets ready even faster than you did, or if you're just extremely out of it. Maybe both. When he returns, he turns off the light and settles down with you. You're doing pretty good at holding yourself together, until he rests his arm softly around your waist, and you lose it faster than you ever have before. Grief, regret, and fear all hit you at once, and you start to sob again.

He pulls you closer—gently, like you're about to shatter—and wraps his arms around you. Your tears are soaking into his shirt but he doesn't push you away. You're being loud, and probably really fucking annoying, but he doesn't push you away. You killed her. He doesn't push you away.

Crying on him teaches you a lot about him, in an odd way. Despite his sharpness, both literal and otherwise, he can be so soft, and so gentle. However cold he's always been to you, he is warm and caring now. He is comforting, and feels like home, and you can feel that awfully familiar feeling rising in your chest that you've never known how to push down. Your father always told you that you had your mother's bad habit of falling in love. You always responded that there was nothing bad about it—but now you think he was probably right.

You're the one who pulls away in the end. Sollux seems like he would've let you cry forever if you wanted to.

"We should get some sleep," he whispers half-heartedly, pushing some of your still-damp hair out of your face. You nod, but you know you won't. All your dreams would be about her.

Even so, you curl up under the covers with him. He fidgets for a moment, then reaches for your hand. You clasp it tightly, and try your best to pretend you're asleep. Over the next half hour, you learn another thing about Sollux; he's a much better actor than you. After thirty minutes of lying in the dark, thinking about everything you're going to miss in life, you open your eyes to find his staring you down.

"You're not sleeping," he says.

"Neither are you," you counter. He half-smiles. He never seems to fully do anything, especially not expression-wise.

"Can't sleep when I'm being watched." A red-hot flush spreads over your cheeks. _I wasn't _watching _him,_ you reason to yourself. _My eyes opened every once in a while, and he's the only thing I can see in this light._ "What's keeping you up?" he continues.

You think before you answer—a rare occurrence, if you're honest. "Thinkin'," you eventually settle on, "about things I'll never get to do."

He softens and reaches up to your face. You can't resist gently pushing into his hand; his warm touch is addictive.

"Don't say that. You're going to be fine." In the darkness you can barely see the sadness behind his eyes, but you know it's there. "You're going to get out of here."

You shake your head. "I won't. I can't." It's clear he doesn't like that, but you know that you're right. Getting out of here stopped being an option for you long ago.

And yet you wonder… There's still time. You could clean up the kitchen, move the body. Plant her somewhere—like the dining room—deny seeing her at all that night. You could hide the body altogether; everyone would know she was gone but surely, they can't prove you did it if they can't find her. That's a thing, isn't it? Can't be charged with murder if they don't find a body? You could avoid still get away with murder, live to see your family again, live the rest of your life… but the consequences for everyone else are just too great. One of you is going to die today, and it sure as hell won't be Sollux.

He sighs and looks into your eyes for a few moments before asking, "What things are you going to miss?"

There are so many things you could say. You had dreams, life goals, a whole bucket list of things that will never be achieved but, being the hopeless romantic you are, all you can think of is, "I'm never going to get a first kiss."

A few beats pass. Sollux looks hesitant.

"Well… it's not too late for that." He swallows thickly. "Still going to be hours before anyone even finds her. Plenty of time, really."

Your eyes flicker down to his lips involuntarily. He's biting at them awkwardly. Is he offering to kiss you? Do you _want_ him to kiss you? Stupid question, you definitely want him to kiss you. His biting gets more anxious and you realise you should probably be saying something. You can't just leave him hanging after that. What are you supposed to say in this situation? A whole sixteen years of dreaming about romance, and you really have no fucking clue. Shit, okay, just don't say something dumb. This is not a good time to make a fool of yourself.

"Are you, like… offering?"

You are the stupidest motherfucker to ever walk the Earth.

Luckily for you, he must like that, because he just laughs. It's nothing like the mocking scoffs you've grown used to over the past few days. His eyes light up, and the different shades in each of them seems to dance despite the lack of light. Finally, he smiles—a real, full smile for the first time since you met him—and catches your eyes.

"Yes," he says, smile still quirking up the corners of his mouth, "I'm 'offering'." He pulls his hands out from under the duvet to use air quotes. He's such a dick. You really do want to kiss him. "I mean, one of us has to die. Neither of us have had a first kiss. The universe is practically begging us."

You snort. "You think a cosmic being wants us to kiss?"

"I'm just saying, the set-up is perfect." His smirk is playful rather than scornful, and it just makes you want to kiss him more. It almost makes you wish you knew what the fuck you're doing, since you are quickly realising that this is nowhere near as simple as it looks in the movies. Maybe you should just reply, since you clearly suck at thinking.

"It sure is." You mentally smack yourself. Seriously, make yourself seem like _more_ of an idiot.

Neither of you know what you're doing, which is a little comforting. At least it's not just you. Your eyes flit back down to his lips, and you decide you should probably start doing something. Leaning in, or whatever. Goddamn, you have no clue what you're doing. You shuffle close to him anyway. Nothing will come of this if you don't at least try, no matter how excruciatingly awkward your attempt is turning out to be.

You both lean in at the same time, and a spectacular combination of inexperience and almost complete darkness combine to create one hell of a headbutt. The two of you wince, laughing it off as best you can, before he grabs your wrist.

"Okay, this is not fucking working. Sit up."

You do. There's no way it can make it any _worse_, except it absolutely can as you quickly discover when he scrambles up beside you. You've begun to realise that kissing is very confusing. How do faces even go together?

"We aren't very good at this," you point out.

"Yeah, but that's allowed. First times are supposed to be awkward, right?" Your cheeks go red. He said it innocently, but, fuck, that phrase has connotations. To your relief, he just keeps talking. "This is difficult," he complains. "Movies always make it look so easy.

"What if we…" You trail off, not really knowing how to articulate your thoughts. Instead of really trying to, you decide it'll be easier to just show him.

A few seconds and one near slip later, you're sitting across his lap. You're sitting on a boy. In his bed. Holy fuck. You really never thought you'd get this far. He leaning back against the pillows, half-upright, and here you are, right in his lap. Sollux gives you an unexpectedly calm smile and places his hands at your waist. He starts moving them up, but he must notice your rising panic as he nears your binder since they settle back at your waist not a moment later.

"We should probably stop fucking around now. I mean, we can just stop if you want to, but otherwise we should really hurry up and do it before we just keep awkward-ing our way out of it all night." His tone is soft and his eyes are too. "So… are you sure about this?"

"Yes." You don't have to think for a second. You like him—a lot fucking more than you could have anticipated—and this is your last chance. You've never been surer about anything.

"Well, this is probably the best shot we're gonna get."

He's right. So, you lean in, and this time you figure out what to do just in time.

His grip tightens around your waist as your lips meet his, and despite all the awkwardness leading up to it, you can't help but melt into him. You wrap your arms around his neck, soaking up his warmth. God, he's so warm. He doesn't protest; much the opposite, actually, as he cautiously deepens the kiss. It's fucking euphoric, and you never want it to end.

It does, though, as a sharp pain hits you just as you consider how at home you feel in his arms. Against your will, you jerk back in shock, reaching for your head. The feeling's already fading.

"Are you okay?" he asks, his brow knitted. Shit, he probably thinks that was his fault.

You nod. "Just—ow—just a really sudden headache…," you assure him. "I'm fine, it's already gone. Pretty much anyway."

He still looks concerned. "You sure?"

"Yeah. Yeah, it was nothing. Just weird."

"Well, as long as you're alright…" He trails off as you let him draw you back in to another kiss.

His hands start moving again after a few seconds, and before you can stop him, he brushes up against the hooks of your binder. Shit. You pull away, not wanting to see his reaction. But when you look at him, he only seems… concerned?

"How long have you been wearing that?" You don't answer. "Never mind, I've been around you all day anyway. That's not safe, ED."

That's… huh?

"It's been like eighteen fucking hours; you're going to hurt yourself. You should take that off."

You shake your head instinctively. No way in hell are you putting up with your chest right now.

"Okay, I'm going to rephrase that. You need to take your binder off, _now_, before you get hurt."

"I don't want to." The words stick in your throat, barely coming out at all.

"I get that but you've been wearing it all day. Unless you're really shooting for a broken rib, you have to take it off."

"Sol—"

"Cool, still not being clear enough. This isn't a discussion." He takes your hand gently. "If you don't want to me to touch you, or even look at you, I don't care. That's fine, I'm totally okay with that result. Just take the fucking binder off before you hurt yourself. Please." He rubs his thumb over your knuckles, and you sigh. You know that he's right. You just really don't like it.

"Fine."

You get up quickly so you can't think yourself out of it. He turns away, although it's dark enough that you can't imagine he'd be able to see you anyway. It's difficult to not overthink what you're doing, but you push through it. When you slide back into the bed beside him, he keeps his word, not looking at you until you tug his head around. He doesn't settle back against you until you do first, tangling your arms around him. The bed feels infinitely more comfortable intertwined with him. You feel so calm you could almost forget what brought you to this moment.

Sollux scoots ever so slightly closer to you, close enough that you can feel the heat of his breath. "We need to sleep," he whispers. "And for real this time."

You open your mouth to agree, but all that comes out is a yawn. He laughs softly and presses a kiss to your forehead. Maybe you'll sleep soundly after all. With your limbs entangled with his, it certainly isn't the most comfortable position, but you've never felt so safe in your life.

You don't remember falling asleep, but you could never forget waking up. You've both twisted and turned in your sleep and ended up lying stomach to back, clinging to Sollux like a koala. One of your arms is trapped under him and completely dead and he's almost stiflingly hot against you. By any standard, it should be awful, but you don't want to get up. You'd rather stay with him forever than face the day.

The morning announcement is yet to go off. Glancing up to the screen on the wall you find that you still have half an hour before everyone else gets up. Sollux shifts against you and your chest pangs with regret. All that time wasted fighting with him, and for what? If you'd been less stubborn, you could have been friends. Maybe things could have always been like this…

But there's no time for maybes.

Right now, in this moment, you are content. You know your death will come today, and you know Sollux will do everything he can to stop it. You know he'll fail, and you know that you'll love him for it. You still don't know why he's doing this, but, God, you're grateful.

Soon, you'll wake Sollux up. You'll head back to your own room before anyone can see you, and you'll sit on your own until Sollux messages you. You'll spend the last free time you have talking to him, until the announcement goes off and Rose finds the body. You'll stay with him the whole day, you'll follow his every word, and you'll know that it's for you—but you still don't know why.

When death is staring you in the face, you'll think back to this moment, and every other moment spent with him. _It's more than I deserved,_ you'll think. You'll be wrong, but you won't know that. You certainly won't know why.

But that's later, and this is now. And now you're warm, you're calm, and you think you're ready for whatever may come.


End file.
